Forthright
by Duessa
Summary: Edward and Bella are finally going to tie the knot and live "happily ever after"... or so the saying goes. Now they will have a new set of challenges to face, along with new relationship dynamics and new villains... SEQUEL TO "THE SECRET" M-lemons & language
1. Sly

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read "The Secret" and who are excited about this sequel! If you haven't read "The Secret" yet, I strongly recommend that you read it _first_… the reason being that although everyone is pretty much true to their character, there are a ton of differences compared to SM's canon. Speaking of which, I do not own the Twilight characters… they belong to Stephenie Meyer. Some new characters are actually real people, mostly avid reviewers who I planted into the story (with their permission, of course), and I don't own them either… lol.

Again, thank you all so much! I'm excited to get this show on the road, so here it goes!

-Stephanie

…

**BPOV**

I was sitting in a chair, and Alice was running a curling iron through my already-wavy locks.

"Hmm," she wondered out loud, "This would look beautiful this weekend, as it is. But maybe we should try an up do?"

"I already promised you, Alice, that you can do whatever you want to my hair for _this_ event. After all, it is a once in a lifetime kind of thing, and I'm not terribly opposed to looking awesome."

"Oh, Bella! You silly thing! You are going to look so much more than just 'awesome.' You are going to be…" she paused a moment to search for the perfect word, apparently, "… _Glorious_!" She chuckled for a second, "Not that you don't already look just _dazzling_. Your change really did wonders for your skin and hair. I just wish it altered your preference for shopping."

"Alice!" I pretended to be offended, then laughed, "There's not a bite in the world that is going to change _that_."

"Don't I know it," she sighed.

She took the pointed pick on the end of a comb and separated my hair into sections. She employed a few hairpins, trying to search for the look that would make me _glorious_.

"So, you are going to be eighteen tonight," Rose squealed as she entered the room.

"Technically, she already _is_ eighteen," Alice chirped.

"So today you can add 'adult' to your resume, and this weekend you can add 'officially off the market' too," Rose laughed cheerfully.

"Can you please plug in the littlest curling iron and the largest barrel iron?" Alice asked Rose.

"Bella, if you weren't already a vampire, I would be worried our dear sister would burn that hair of yours right off your head," Rose snorted as she complied with Alice's request.

Alice stuck her tongue out at Rose and then patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Bella. Don't let her suggestions get to you. It is not possible to singe your hair. It is, after all, literally, quite perfect."

"Thanks, Alice," I smiled.

"We have to hurry though, because Angela, Jen and Kathy will be here in less than twenty minutes. I've already seen what they're going to get you for the wedding, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. They just picked it out about ten minutes ago, and you're going to _love_ it. I wonder what their boyfriends are up to, if not escorting them around," Alice teased.

"I'm going to open the windows downstairs," Rose said suddenly, "It's not that I don't want them here or anything, but they always bring a trail of wolf-stench in here, you know what I mean?" She snickered all the way down the stairs about it. She just loved to give the wolves a hard time. However, I'm sure when the girls saw their guys again, they would be harassed about bringing back a trail of vampire-reek, as Jake so 'lovingly' called it once.

Over the summer, there were quite a few changes to our little, quaint town. For one thing, Jacob had imprinted on Jen. She was allowed into all of their secrets, which naturally led her to be in on all of the Cullen's secrets too. It was only a few short weeks after Jake and Jen fell head over heels for one another that Embry met Kathy through Jen. I thought Kathy would freak out when she was let in on everything. She seemed the type to have too level a head to believe in werewolves and vampires. And yet, when she found out, all she could say was, _"I knew it! I just _knew_ that something was up around here."_ We all shared a good laugh at that.

For another thing, the weekend that Jen moved down from Port Angeles to live with Angela for our senior year, we decided that it might be too much work to keep Angela in the dark about everything. The wolves decided as a tribe (which wasn't difficult because Jen had Jake wrapped around her little finger), and we decided as a family (which wasn't difficult because Angela is one of my very best friends), to tell Angela. At first, she thought we were playing an elaborate prank on her. It wasn't until Carlisle insisted that she began to crack a little. To top it all off, though, Emmett made a spectacle of himself. He ran around at a pace that _no human_ possibly could. She was stunned to hear the entire _secret_, but in the end, she managed to assimilate very well. She wasn't afraid, and that was as much as I suppose we could have hoped for.

For a third thing, the tension between the tribe and the clan seemed to have vanished for good. I like to think that _I_ might have had a little something to do with that. Once Jake imprinted on Jen, Edward and Jake began to get along pretty well. They became interested in one another's cultures and Jake decided it would be alright if the Cullen's crossed the Quileute borders, so long as it was done with good intentions. The pair shook on it and it became the groundwork for the new treaty.

All in all, everything seemed to be going pretty darn well for a change. And yet, I was more stressed out than I had ever been.

"Gee, you sure look nervous, Bella. I mean, it's just a tiny little birthday party. Only the ones you love the most will be there."

"It's not that, Alice. I just feel a little funny about this weekend, you know?"

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"It's not like I _can_," I laughed.

"I know, I know," she replied, "Because your feet will always be warm, just like the rest of you and your beating little heart."

"But no, whether you're speaking literally or figuratively, I'm _not_ getting cold feet. It's just that… I feel a little guilty keeping it from my parents. I want to marry Edward, and I'm _going_ to marry him. I just don't want the world to think I'm foolish for doing it at such a young age. Not to mention, I'm in high school. If I weren't in the circumstances I'm in, where I know we'll be together forever and all that, I'm not sure I would be going through with it at this time in my life. I don't know... does any of that even make any sense to you?"

Alice giggled and kept pinning my hair into sections while she spoke, "You know Bella, you are eighteen now and that makes you able to legally get married. You may not have the courage to tell the world about it, and you may have sworn all of us to secrecy on the matter, but you really have nothing to be ashamed of."

In one sense, I knew she was right about that. But that was the idealistic side of me oozing out. The more logical, realistic side said_ keep quiet you moron! Don't tell your mom and especially don't tell Charlie. He'll shoot Edward for this and then he'll find out that something is different about him. Not to mention, all the lectures you'd have to endure from Renee about being young and stupid. Plus, what would the town think? _It's not that I particularly cared about what the town thought, but the logical side of me just _had_ to throw that in there, for extra measure.

And I knew that our ultimate little secret would remain hidden. I knew that the Cullens would never speak a word of it to anyone who wasn't already in the loop. And I trusted my very best friends as well: Angela, Jen, Kathy… And it's not like the wolves even _could_ tell anyone about it. I had ordered them to never tell Charlie, or anyone else for that matter, about the vows Edward and I would be making this weekend.

The only one among our friends left out of the _more-supernatural-stuff _circle was Ben… though, if he married Angela one day, then that would probably all change. For now, however, he was clued in on the wedding, and we just knew we could trust him.

"I'm thankful for you keeping me grounded, Alice. I'm glad you're on my team."

I was also glad that our team was so big. Between all of the family and the wolves and our close friends, the _little_ birthday party tonight wouldn't be that terribly little after all. Neither would our wedding roster, come to think of it.

I could hardly believe that _that_ day was so near. A few months ago, just before the school year ended, Edward and I had planned on waiting a year. But the more we were together, the more eager we became about the event. Edward was simply ecstatic when I proposed we get married right after my eighteenth birthday.

I hadn't thought that through very well, though. I would still live at Charlie's house, because he would have _no idea_ that we would be married. Edward would still sneak through my window at night, as he always had, and Charlie would have _no idea_ that he was in my room. I guess I was comfortable with that, but I didn't think it would be long before Edward would want more than that.

"_It's not like I can just move out and get an apartment with you, Edward," _I had said.

"_Fine then. We can buy a house."_

"_We can't buy a house either."_

"_Okay, then. We'll _build_ a house then."_

"_I can't do any of those things. I'm sorry."_

"_Because you're in high school?" he asked._

"_Yup. Because I'm in high school."_

"_And you're afraid of what the neighbors will gossip about?"_

I bit my lip and turned away, embarrassed.

"_Look, sweetheart. We don't have to rent or buy or build anything. Not until you want to. I'm fine with whatever you want. I'm just happy that you're marrying me, to be honest."_

I knew that he said and meant those things at the time… but as time passed, I wondered if he would continue to be so relaxed about our living-situation. It's true that I _could_ _have_ waited for the entire year to pass… but I just didn't want to wait anymore. I _wanted _to marry Edward Anthony Cullen… I just didn't want anyone to know about it, and that's where the conflict kept rising up in me.

I was so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed Alice spraying my hair.

"Ta-dah!" she announced proudly. "I'm finally finished with it. The top is up and the bottom is down and wavy. Just fabulous, don't you think? And this weekend, it will be all the way up… or at least that's the plan for now. But who knows? It's all subject to change… there are no guarantees."

"Have you picked out the dress yet?" I asked her.

She bought fourteen different dresses and matching veils and shoes for each one. I pissed and moaned the whole throughout the entire day that she had me try each and every one on.

"How about you let _me_ pick the dress?" I asked.

She quirked her eyebrow in interest.

"Really?" she asked timidly, not sure if I was joking around or not.

"Sure. I think I know which one I would go for."

I tried not to think too hard about which one it was, or she would probably see it in one of her visions.

"You're being sly," she said devilishly, trying to sneak a glance into the future and see which dress I preferred the most.

She knew what I was up to. She knew I was trying to keep it from her. But after pretending I was up to nothing the last few months with Charlie, I was actually getting pretty good at being so darn _sly_.


	2. Cowboys and Indians

**BPOV**

The front doorbell rang, sending chimes throughout the house.

"Sounds like guests are beginning to arrive for your birthday party. Shall we?" Alice asked.

I nodded my head.

"Before you can make your grand entrance, though, I have something for you."

She ran to a table in the room and pointed to a large, rectangle gift box with a matching square gift box on top of it. I approached the scene cautiously, wondering if what was inside would be too over the top.

"Alice," I chided, "I don't want to be the only one dressed up for this party."

"Oh, you_ won't_ be. Surprise! I asked everyone to dress up!"

I had imagined just standing around nibbling on cookies and listening to music while wearing jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. Yet, I probably _should have known_ that nothing that simple would fly with Alice assuming the role of the 'official' party planner.

"You go ahead and slip into this little number, and we'll all be waiting for you downstairs."

She left the room and I smiled to myself. Alice was so excited to have this. Not just the party, but peace between the clan and the pack. The_ us and them_ had finally merged into one big _us_ and this party was just further evidence for that. I ran my fingers over the cool, smooth boxes and slid the lid off of the square box first. I laughed out loud when I saw what was inside.

There was a pair of eighteenth century women's saloon boots, a garter and a headband with an arrangement of peacock feathers on one side!

I cringed a little before opening the second, larger box…

It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. At this point, I was expecting something wild, so it wasn't as shocking as it might have been otherwise. There was a turquoise, purple, and gold dress fit for the cow towns of Wichita back when there were cattle trails running from Kansas City to Dodge. I was about to ask myself if Alice was serious about this, but I shrugged my shoulders and started dressing in the getup. I scanned myself over in the mirror twice before heading downstairs. All in all, I looked like a saloon peacock, literally.

I headed down the hall and toward the stairs. I heard music that sounded like it was coming from the tinkering keys of an old fashioned player piano.

"Them's some mighty fine fabrics, ma'am," came a Southern drawl from behind me.

When I turned around, I discovered that it _wasn't _Jasper's voice, but Edward's.

"Edward?"

He was dressed in late eighteenth century gentlemen's' attire. He was wearing a white shirt under his black vest which had slightly poufy sleeves and a black garter around one arm.

"Happy birthday, Bella," he whispered before planting a kiss on my lips.

"I like your hair. It looks pretty and it smells divine."

"Oh, why, thank you, mister," I said in the best cowgirl accent I could muster.

He pulled out a gold watch on a chain from his vest pocket. "Looks like it's time for your party to start, love."

I gave him a curtsy and took his arm so he could escort me down the stairs. It was true that I was no longer subject to tripping and tumbling all over myself… but with these high-heeled boots, one could never be absolutely certain what might happen.

As we entered the living room, I saw Alice dressed in a bright red saloon dress just like mine. Her lips were bright red and the feather on her head band matched. Jasper ran up to her side. He was dressed as a cowboy, with the fitted, dark jeans, brown boots, a dusty cowboy-cut shirt, a large hat and a bandana around his face. He even had two antique-looking six-shooters slung around his waist in holsters.

"Why, don't you look just fit to be robbin' a bank?" Alice teased.

Angela, Jen and Kathy were all dressed up in costume as well. Between the lot of us, we looked like a bunch of saloon tarts. Angela was wearing a wild purple print, Jen was turquoise and Kathy was all shades of gold. They looked like my own personal entourage, the way they matched my peacock number.

Emmett ran in, dressed as the sheriff, with a shiny silver star on his cowboy costume. Rose was decked out in 'librarian-from-the-eighteen-hundreds' wear. She was even sporting the soft, feminine bonnet.

"Yee-haw," Emmett shouted as he ran toward Jasper, pretending to shoot his revolver up in the air.

"Don't be getting too rowdy, now," warned Rose.

"Don't worry, baby, they're not even loaded," Emmett smiled at her the way a toddler does when he knows he's in trouble.

"Oh, I _know_ that, Emmy-bear. I just _have_ to say that. It's what my cowgirl character would say. I'm playing Quaker today. I'm afraid I'm going to _have_ to be strict," she teased.

Carlisle and Esme were standing next to the player piano, smiling. Esme was dressed like a character from "Sarah, Plain and Tall," just like Rose was. The pattern on her dress was made up of tiny little paisleys and she was wearing a white apron over it. Carlisle was dressed like "Pa" in "Little House on the Prairie," and was wearing a pair of old-fashioned spectacles.

As Edward and I made our way down the stairs, I continued to survey the view before me. We _really_ did look like we just popped out of an old western scene.

Alice waved me over to her and as I was crossing the room, I heard the stereo-typed war cry of Indians. The front door burst open and in danced Jake, Embry, and Quil, followed by Seth and Leah Clearwater. Seth and Leah were the newest pack members. They changed over the summer, on the exact same day. Seth was excited about the development, but Leah was a little less than thrilled. She wasn't prepared for something like this to happen to her, and honestly, neither was anyone else. In all of the histories and traditions of the Quileutes, there was never a single recorded case of a female joining the wolf pack. Leah was the first. She was still bitter about her and Sam's break-up, since they were engaged. She was finally let in on _why_ he decided to no longer be with her. Until her change, she didn't understand the finer points of imprinting. Now that she understood the reason behind Sam's sudden _choice_, if you can really call it that, she was finally beginning to try to move on and get past it.

The five members of the tribe were dressed like the Native Americans from the Hollywood movies. They had feathered headdresses, moccasins, tomahawks, war paint on their faces and the guys had it on their bare chests, and they danced around as if they were doing a Powwow. Jasper and Emmett were banging on a pair of cowhide drums as the pack performed.

"Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!" Jake bellowed, waving his hand over and away from his mouth as he danced toward Jen.

He bowed down on one knee and took her hand to give it a kiss.

She lifted her right arm off her left, just like in _Peter Pan_, and said, "How."

"How!" he greeted her back in a stereotypical way.

They both giggled at one another.

"Bella!" Alice giggled, "What do you think?"

"It's not at _all_ what I expected, to be honest," I laughed.

"No. I didn't think it would be. But it's all fitting. It's for your birthday gift from all of us. Would you like to 'open' it now?" As she spoke, the room got very quiet.

I looked around to see everyone eyeing me, as if they were waiting for something.

"Okay," I said weakly, not sure what to expect.

"Carlisle and Edward?" Alice motioned them over. "Jake?" she asked, motioning for him to come as well.

"Bella, for your birthday, we have decided to make a truce and to agree on a Plan of Peace," Edward smiled at me.

"A Plan of Peace?" I asked.

My draw nearly dropped. I understood what was happening now.

"Yes," Jake answered. "You see, for too long we have been playing cowboys and Indians, only seeing the differences between us, but always ignoring the things we have in common. Since _you_ have become one of the wolves in a way, as well as one of the vampires, we thought for _your_ birthday, it would be perfect to announce and sign off on a New Treaty. One that will benefit both our sides and unite us, as well as protect us all."

"Then we'll have some punch, cake and a hayride," Alice chirped.

Edward laughed and nodded, "Yes, then we'll get to the refreshments and festivities."

"Are you all ready for this?" asked Jake.

"We are," Carlisle answered. "I remember the day that your great-grandfather, Ephraim, Edward and I made a treaty such as this. He would be very proud to see you now."

"Thanks, Carlisle," Jake chuckled, trying to hide the tears that were welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry that my dad and Sam couldn't be here."

"It is alright," Edward told Jake, patting him on the shoulder. "They do not approve of the new treaty," he explained to me. "They see it as near-treason, in a way. However, Jacob here is the rightful heir of authority in his tribe. If he truly does wish to make this treaty then it is, in fact, binding for _all_ of the members. Not just the wolves who are among us today in this space and time, but for _all _the generations to come."

"Jake," I said, hugging him, "Thank you so much for this."

"I'm happy to do it. Do you want to hear what the New Plan of Peace entails?"

I nodded my head.

Carlisle motioned for everyone to sit down. Everyone's eyes were wide as we all listened to the points of the new treaty.

"First off," Jake announced, "The members of the Cullen family will be able to visit our lands whenever they like, or whenever it is necessary to ward away dangers from other clans or from roaming wanderers."

Carlisle and Edward each took a turn shaking Jake's hand over the first point.

"Secondly," Jake announced again, "If the members of the Cullen tribe wish to add a new member to their clan, and as long as they have the willing consent of the member they wish to initiate, and as long as that new member understands fully what they will be getting into as a vampire before they become one, there will be no war made between the Pack and the Clan." He gave me a wink as he announced this point.

Again, Carlisle and Edward each took a turn shaking Jake's hand.

"Third and lastly, the Quileutes and the Cullens, from this day forward, are partners in defending one another's property and liberties from any outside force that would threaten the way of life between one or the other. That will be true from this point on, for all generations to come and for all new members to come. We swear to protect their members and they swear to protect ours."

For the third and last time, Carlisle and Edward each took a turn shaking Jake's hand.

"It is done then. Let's get to that cake, now, shall we?" he asked.

Everyone applauded and stood. Alice and Rose brought out a cake and set it on the dining table. Edward placed his palm on the small of my back and guided me over to the table. As I stood behind the cake for everyone to see, they all started singing _Happy Birthday_ to me. The girls sang it normally, but the boys added cheers and hollers and began to intentionally sing off-key and off-beat. They howled at the end and everyone began to laugh and clap again.

"A toast!" Rose cried out.

"Yes, a toast!" Alice said.

Everyone gathered a glass of punch, whether they were going to be able to drink it or not, and raised them high.

"To our guests," Edward started, "And to the New Plan of Peace. And to my beautiful fiancé, Isabella Marie Swan, who after this weekend, you may refer to as Isabella Marie Cullen," he smiled. "Bella, it is because of you that we have been able to look past one another's boundaries and discover similarities that were there all along. Those similarities are what will make us strong and free. No matter what we have become as we have made our journeys, we all started out human. And _human nature is the same in all_. To you, Bella, our friend, our sister, our loved one, and my bride-to-be. Happy birthday!"

"To Bella! Happy birthday!" everyone shouted happily.

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them against as many other glasses as they could reach. Everyone who could take a sip, which included me, did.

"Now for that hay ride!" Jasper announced.

He and Emmett ushered us all out of the front door. Waiting outside was a covered wagon and a team of horses to pull it. There was straw in the wagon, covered by soft blankets. The sun was beginning to set as we all piled in. Carlisle and Esme guided the team of horses across the grounds as the rest of us laughed, giggled and sang folk songs.

"She'll be comin' around the mountain when she comes!" Jasper sang, strumming his guitar.

"Yee-haw," the rest of us rounded in.

...

A/N: Okay, you caught me: I'm definitely from Kansas, and I love my home state *heart*. Wichita, Dodge, and Kansas City really were the three largest cow towns, and there's a lot of rich, diverse history in each one (not that I'm a historian or anything). After writing this chapter, I definitely have the itch to visit _Cowtown_ and go on a hayride! Plus, I simply _adore_ those pictures they take when you dress up in the saloon gear or as Native Americans, and they print them out in old-fashioned sepia tones and it looks like a "WANTED" poster for bandits, tee hee… I have a ton of those!


	3. Worry

A/N: Thank you for reading, and thank you for reviewing! :)

…

**BPOV**

"You ready for that Trig. test today?" Angela asked. "Oh, and your birthday party last night pretty much rocked my socks off."

"Oh, why thank you. You can hand all the credit to Alice, by the way. I didn't even know it was going to be _wild west_ at all."

"Good thing about the treaty too, huh?"

I nodded my head. Angela always kept me calm, but it was true that she was also a worry wart. She had been, according to Jasper, stressed out every time Sam and Billy complained about the Cullens. Hopefully, after last night, she would be able to relax a little more about that. It was still true that Sam and Billy did _not_ approve of what took place, but there was really nothing they could do about it now.

"Anyway, I was wondering if I could borrow your notes to study before the test a little more. I mean, I _did_ take my own notes, but it never hurts to see it all from another's perspective, you know?"

"Here you go," I said, digging my Trig. folder out of my backpack.

"Thanks a ton, Bella. You're the best. I won't be at lunch today. I'll be in the library going over all these things. I really want to get started on the whole 'scholarship thing,' you know?"

"I'll pick you up a sandwich for later," I called after her as she ran off down the hall.

Angela pretty much studied non-stop these days. She was a smart cookie as it was, and I'm sure she would have no problem getting accepted to anywhere she wanted to attend. However, she was in the mindset that because she came from a small town and a small school, she would be at a disadvantage for receiving scholarships. I reviewed some of the admission essays she wrote though, and in all honesty, they could have been admitted and published the same day. She really had a way with words and making things come alive. I believe she had no disadvantage whatsoever.

I continued walking to my locker, where I knew Edward would be waiting for me. He stood beside me as I exchanged books for next period. Whenever I was around him, I noticed the tempo of my heartbeat increased… and this time was no different. He chuckled, knowing full well what he did to me.

"Hey," he whispered, "If my heart could beat, it would definitely pick up pace as well, when _you're_ around looking so damn delicious."

I slapped his shoulder playfully and he smiled.

"Are you flirting with me, Edward Cullen?"

"What? Isn't a man allowed to flirt a little with his fiancé?"

"Shhh," I hushed him, looking around to make sure no one heard him.

"Hey, it's okay, sweetheart. No one heard me, and no one outside of our little circle suspects a thing." He leaned down to give me a kiss.

"I'm sorry I freaked," I said shyly.

"It's okay, love. I understand where you're coming from with all of this. We can still hold hands though, right? People who aren't married do that sometimes, do they not?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes, I suppose they sometimes do," I said, taking his hand.

We walked toward our English class together.

"By the way, I have some guests coming in town for the... _event_... this weekend."

"Guests?"

"Yes. There are some family friends- the Denali's. And, there are some old friends of mine. Fourteen of them, actually."

"Fourteen? I didn't know you had so many friends."

"Well… we refer to each other as _acquaintances_, if you will. But it is true that we are actually very good friends."

Acquaintances… acquaintances… where had I heard him say that word before?

"And I would be happy to introduce them to you. Despite what most people might think of them, they are actually really _good_ guys," he continued.

I wondered why people would think Edward's friends were not good guys… and then it hit me.

"Edward… these… _ acquaintances_ of yours… they're not in any way related to your father's old friends, are they?"

"Actually, they _are_ my father's old friends."

"Huh?"

"They _are_ my father's old friends, literally. They are among _us_, if you will," he said, looking around the hallway.

"Vampires?" I exclaimed, maybe a little too loudly.

"Okay, love. _Who _is being conspicuous now?"

I looked around, but didn't see that anyone was reacting to the _V-word_; the one that we _never_ use in public, just to make sure that the seed doesn't get planted in people's minds about us.

"Sorry," I said lowly, "But it's not like anyone heard me."

"Okay then, just like no one heard that… WE'RE GETTING MARRIED," he yelled out.

I slapped him on his shoulder right away.

"Stop that!" I hissed.

Everyone stopped for a moment and stared at us before deciding Edward must have been joking, and then they just moved right along.

"I _can't_ believe you did that!" I snarled at him.

He just stood there laughing, obviously entertained by what he just did.

"I love you, if that makes you happy," he offered.

"I love you, too. But we might just have to _not_ get married if we can't keep our mouths shut about it in public." I knew it was an empty threat. I knew that there would be no way I wouldn't go through with it this weekend. There was no way I could go on without being married to him any longer. But _he_ didn't know that.

"I'm sorry, Bella. Please forgive me," he smiled at me, trying to dazzle me.

Even though I could see right through him now that I had been bitten too, he still had this way of dazzling me. He still made my heart race and he still turned me on in all the right ways. I loved him now and I would love him forever, and that is just the way it was between us.

"You're efforts to try to sway me are working," I admitted.

"I love you," he said, walking me to my desk in the classroom.

"I love you, too," I whispered as he turned to go to his.

I pulled my book out of my backpack and took out my notebook and pens. The bell rang, and Mr. Donners walked into the room, late as he usually was. I thought of how hypocritical it was that he was always late, but if one of us was, it would cost us an automatic detention.

"Alright," he said, "Turn to book twenty-two of _The Odyssey_, please, and we will begin."

I began to zone out almost right away. I thought of meeting Edward's shady friends, and was kind of nervous about that. He said they were vampires, and from what little I knew of them from what Edward told me the night he had proposed, they were less than honest concerning achieving their financial gain. Then my thoughts turned to the Denali's.

I had never met them, but I'd heard a fair amount about them. There was Eleazar and Carmen, who were often likened to having the parent roles of Carlisle and Esme. Then there were their 'daughters.' Well… there was _one_ daughter in particular that I was especially worried about… a certain… _strawberry blonde_.

I know they didn't mean to make her sound like a goddess, but she certainly did seem that way to me… the way Alice and Rose talked about her. Rose accidentally let it spill that Tanya Denali had a _huge_ crush on Edward and tried to talk him into marriage on several occasions. I knew I had no reason to be insecure. I knew full well that Edward was in love with _me_. After all, he is the one who proposed to me. I never had to talk him into it. On the contrary, it was him who kept trying to whittle down the days and talk me into just eloping. It wasn't until I agreed that the weekend after my birthday would be _the_ day that he finally let up. But even now, I knew that if I asked him to leave the classroom right now and drive me to Vegas, he absolutely would.

I wondered if maybe I should go the Vegas route in order to avoid having to see the beautiful Tanya Denali, who was known for being cruel to those she considered competition in any way over any little thing just as much as she was known for her incredible beauty, lusting after my fiancé in front of my very eyes.

I couldn't help but feel ashamed at the immature way I was behaving in my mind. Thank goodness Edward couldn't read it, or I would have had every reason for hanging my head in shame just then. Tanya was his good friend and his good friend only. She would accept me. She would approve of me if Edward did, wouldn't she? Of course she would. I shouldn't have felt so jealous or competitive just then.

I tried to hang on to that logic throughout the rest of the class period, but I kept reverting back to fearing how beautiful she would be. I _should_ have been thinking of the dress or the shoes or the flowers, but I was completely focused on this girl I had never seen before. I shouldn't fear my wedding day. Though, if I were being honest with myself, I didn't fear my wedding day… just the few days prior where Tanya would be running around the Cullen household, probably in a bathing suit or lingerie… I don't know why I kept picturing that in my mind… probably because some deep-rooted part of me was trying to bring out all of my insecurities…

I told myself over and over that I shouldn't be making assumptions about Tanya, though. For all I knew she was a completely wonderful person. I wouldn't want _my_ prejudices to stand in the way of making a lovely new friend, would I? Of course not. So why did I keep seeing her in my mind prancing around in that god damned stringkini?

_Take a deep breath, Bella Swan. Soon, you will be Bella Cullen. No one can steal that away from you. No one can make Edward stop loving you as much as he does, so just freakin' chillax already! And _stop_ thinking of Tanya Denali, who you've never even seen, by the way, strutting around like Miss America in front of Edward. She's going to be perfectly fine and you'll feel extra silly when you meet her and you find out that you've put yourself through all of this suffering for nothing._

That's the internal voice I liked to hear, but it was always followed by the one that I wished would just keep its big mouth shut:

_It's better to be cautious and on guard than have your fiancé stolen away from you just days before the biggest day of your life. You have every reason to feel scared, and why shouldn't you? Rose insisted that she caught Emmett… loyal ol' Emmett of all people… staring at Tanya's goddess-like curves. And you are nothing compared to Rose, so just imagine the pile of trash you'll be comparable to when standing next to Tanya Denali! And keep picturing Edward's eyes rolling back into his head over seeing her in that pleather two-piece, because that's probably what'll happen. In fact, I guarantee you that's what will happen! In fact, imagine her with matching stilettos while you're at it, because she will probably be wearing them._

Where was the other voice? The nicer one? The one that told me things would all be alright and that I shouldn't worry about any of this?

I must not have even heard the bell ring…

"Bella?" Edward asked, "Bella?"

I snapped my head up.

"You weren't sleeping in class, were you?" he said, grinning.

"Oh, umm…" _Does daydreaming count?_

It was true that I still dreamed because it was true that I still slept. I didn't need a full eight hours, though. Just two or three would be perfectly fine, but if I went more than a full day without it, I would begin to grow physically tired. This was something that Carlisle was particularly interested in. He took note of every single time I slept the first month after my change. He documented, in detail, how long I slept, if I dreamed, if so then what about, and a myriad of other things all sleep-related.

"Where were you?" he asked.

I couldn't just tell him that I was just thinking about how much I'm _not_ looking forward to meeting one of his oldest and dearest family friends. No, I could never tell him the truth because the fact was, I was deeply ashamed of the truth. I knew, in my head, that I had nothing to worry about. But there was something else about it all that made me very anxious, and I couldn't even describe what it was that made me feel that way. I decided it was all because of some obnoxious inferiority complex that _just happened_ to develop at the exact same time that I heard Tanya Denali was coming to town, and I should just move on as if nothing were the matter.

"Bella?" he asked again, putting his hand on mine, "Are you alright darling? You're not… wanting to… hold off on the wedding, are you?"

The way he choked the words out when he said it; he looked as if he might actually cry. It wrenched at my heart to see him so worried over something that was really just an empty threat from earlier.

"No!" I promised him. "It's nothing like that! I promise. I was just thinking about… your _friends_."

There. I didn't single her out, so he would have no idea how nervous I was about meeting her in particular.

"Oh," he said, running his hands through his hair. "Yeah, well… don't be nervous about anything."

Nervous? How did he know? Was it really that obvious that I was threatened as a female by Tanya? I wanted to curl up and disappear for a little bit. I felt my cheeks grow hot… it was the first time I had actually blushed in over three months.

"After all, they're good guys," he continued.

_Guys?_

"You might just be surprised, you know. You might actually _like_ them," he laughed. "They may be a little mafia-ish, but they are true friends. They are loyal and kind and they will love you because I love you. I like to think of them as cousins, you know? Come on. Let's go to lunch."

"Okay," I said.

I began to feel guilty again for painting such a terrible portrait of poor Tanya in my head. I couldn't get over how selfish and worried I had been for no reason. Edward's mind wasn't even focused on her. He kept thinking about his other friends and how nice they were… not of Tanya and how beautiful she was.

He helped me pack my book and pens and notebook in my bag and carried it to my locker for me.

"This weekend is going to be the best weekend of my life, Bella," he whispered into my ear as I was opening the door to my locker. "I just want to make absolutely sure that it is the best weekend of your life as well."

"It will be," I said, positive now that it would be regardless of how many beautiful women were there.

Again, I felt slightly ashamed of myself for thinking that any other person in the world could upstage me in Edward's eyes.

"I just can't believe I'm finally getting everything I've ever wanted out of life… and I get to keep you forever," he sighed as he leaned down to kiss me.

Forever. That is how long I would be his and that's how long he would be mine. And we would live happily ever after, because we loved each other so very, very much.

…

After school was out, I hopped in my red truck to drive home when I saw Angela running out of the school.

"Bella!" she shouted over the crowd.

It was easy for me to hear her. It's one of those things that comes with heightened senses.

I hopped out of my truck and we met half way between the lot and the building.

"How did you do on the test?" I asked.

She had stayed behind to look over it. She was the first one to finish and the last one to leave.

"I did fine. I think I aced it. On the downside, though, I think I may have locked my keys in my car. Can you help me out?"

We walked over to her car. Alice saw us and ran up to us.

"Hey you guys," she chirped happily. "I made all the bridesmaid dresses in Home Ec. today. Needless to say, I got an easy A on them. They are beautiful. Wanna' see?"

Angela ran over to her, anxious to see her own dress.

"Not _you_, Bella. You get to be surprised. Turn around. Here, take _this_," Alice said, taking a hanger from one of the dress bags and handing it to me.

"A hanger?" I asked.

"Yeah. You need to unlock Angela's door, right? So, wedge the door open a little and extend the hanger to catch the lock. That's what the guys from Triple A do." She laughed and motioned for me to turn around so she could give Angela a sneak peek of the dress she would be wearing this weekend.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Angela squealed, clapping her hands.

"Angela!" Jen shouted, running up.

"Have a look at the dresses," Angela told her.

"Oh, they're done? Already?" Jen said, gathering around Alice. "Has Kathy seen hers yet?"

"Not yet," Alice said. "I knew Bella would need a hanger to unlock your cousin's car door. I came as soon as I could get out of class. Will she be riding with you to the house tonight? I need the three of you to try them on. Rose and I already have ours at the house. I finished them before school this morning."

I wedged the car door open a little and began shimmying the hanger through the crack.

"You don't say," said Kathy. "It must be nice to never have to sleep. I can only imagine all the things I could get done with eight extra hours per day."

"You're telling me," Angela agreed. "I would spend the extra time studying."

"I would spend it making out with Jake," Jen teased.

I looked over to see Alice snickering and Angela rolling her eyes.

"I have no doubt that you would," Angela said.

"Got it!" I declared as I successfully opened Angela's door for her.

"Thank you so much you guys," she said, hugging Alice and then me.

"Hey, Bella. Are you still driving that old truck?" Jen asked.

I knew that she already knew the answer to that, because she was staring at it on the other side of the lot.

"Yes," I said proudly.

"What about your new car?" Angela prompted.

"I save it for going out of town and sometimes on the weekends."

"If you're into dumpy old cars, I'll totally trade you mine for yours?" offered Angela.

"No thanks," I said politely. "I do _like_ the new car. It's just that I don't want…"

"To be seen in it," Alice giggled.

"_I _want to be seen in it," Jen pleaded. "Can I drive it for awhile?"

"Where will you tell people you got it?" I asked her.

"I'll tell them Edward gave it to me, if it means I get to drive it."

"That's the spirit!" Edward laughed, approaching us. "See, sweetheart? _Some_ people don't mind driving around cars they didn't pay for."

"Don't encourage him," I warned the girls. I knew where this conversation would be headed fast.

"Why not?" Alice said playfully, "Some of us actually _agree_ with him on this. Who cares what people will say? And who cares what they will think?" She leaned in and whispered quietly into my ear, making sure that no one outside of our circle would hear, "After all, you are going to be Edward's wife, Bella. There is nothing wrong with driving around a car that your husband bought for you. You really shouldn't discriminate against him, you know," she laughed now. "After all, it's not _his_ fault he's so filthy rich. Poor Edward."

Everyone made pouty faces for Edward and said, "Awe, poor Edward," and "You really shouldn't be so hard on him, Bella."

"All of you! Stop peer pressuring me into driving around the Aston Martin!" I teased.

"Hey ya'll," Jasper said, walking up to Alice and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "And _hello darlin'_," he cooed at her.

He relieved her of holding the dresses and took her backpack too.

"We ought to be gettin' home. The Denali's will be arriving in about an hour."

_So soon?_

"You'll love them," Alice smiled at me.

I gulped hard.

"Okay," I said, trying to smile back at her.

"Oh, honey, don't be shy around them," Jasper teased.

"I'm not shy about meeting them," I said, trying to believe my own words so that hopefully he would too.

"You three want to come try on your dresses right now, and you can meet them too?" Alice asked Angela and Jen.

"Sure. We'll go find Kathy. I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Jen said, tossing her stuff in the car before she left.

"See you soon," Angela said.

As soon as the girls went to look for Kathy, Alice turned to me and pointed her finger at me sharply, "And don't you go getting any ideas about Vegas," she warned. "I did not design and create these dresses Jazzy is holding just to throw them away. Got it?"

I laughed and nodded my head.

Edward handed Alice his car keys.

"I'll ride with you," he said, smiling at me.

"You mean, you don't mind being seen in my _ugly clunker_?"

"Bella, love, I wouldn't mind being seen with you if it meant I had to live in a cardboard box on the side of the road."

He put his arm around me and we walked together toward my truck.

"Now, what's all this about Vegas?" he asked while opening my door for me.

"Nothing, Edward. It's nothing," I laughed.

He smiled wide, and I knew he had been digging around in Alice's visions. Maybe he got to steal a glance of what I would look like in my wedding dress. Wasn't it bad luck for a groom to see his bride in her dress before the wedding, though?

"I love you," he said.

I gave him a kiss and hopped in the truck. After closing my door for me, he ran around to the other side and hopped in. He scooted to the middle of the cab and put his arm around me.

"There is at least one good thing about this old monster of yours," he snickered.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well, at least I can sit next to you in it. After all, I do love being so close to you."


	4. Enter the Denali's

**BPOV**

I tried to pull myself together in the truck on the way to Edward's house. Knowing that the Denali's would be arriving at any time gave me the creeps. Well… it wasn't the _Denali's_… just _one_ of them, really.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Edward asked, taking one of my hands to his lips and giving it a kiss.

"Yeah," I lied, "I'm just focusing on driving, is all."

"Hmm…" he said, eyeing me over, "You've never had to concentrate on it this hard before. And you know, the speed limit is forty here. You're only going twenty-five."

I looked at my speedometer to see that he was right. But if I was really going so slowly, why did it _feel_ like I was going over a hundred?

"Sorry," I muttered.

I pressed the petal down further and accelerated, but I didn't go over the speed limit. I usually did go over by five, but today, I was trying to keep as much distance from reality as possible, I guess. My logic was strange, but it seemed that if I drove really, really slowly, maybe we would never get there and then I would never have to meet Tanya.

"Bella… please pull over here."

"Here? But there's nowhere to park! I'll just…"

"Just pull over to the side of the road. Please?"

I looked at him like he was crazy but did what he asked anyway.

"Please look at me," he requested warmly.

I began to look toward him, but then snapped my head back to look out through the windshield.

"And please give me your hands."

I slid my hands in between his.

"And please look at me, sweetheart."

I bit my lip before deciding to slowly begin turning my head toward him.

"Not just your face, love. Your eyes too."

I moved my eyes up so that they were no longer aimed at his shoulder, but at his eyes instead.

"Now, my darling bride-to-be... Would you mind telling me what the matter is? You haven't been yourself all afternoon, and I don't want you to be under any pressure meeting new people if you're already upset about something else."

His gaze was so loving and his voice was so tender. I just looked at him, and I could feel the worry radiating out of my eyes. My brow was furrowed and my lips were pouted forward slightly. How was I going to tell him that the whole reason I was nervous was because there was some tiny part of me that was convinced that I would never be good enough for him and that I was intimidated by his tall, leggy girl-friend who was infatuated with him and would probably off me, if she could, just so _she_ could have him rather than me having him?

"I don't know how to tell you…" I mumbled, hoping me might not hear anything at all.

Of course, he _did_ hear though.

"You don't know how to tell me _what_, exactly?"

He leaned in and kissed my neck and my cheek and brushed his thumb over the line of my jaw.

"I… I…" _I can't believe I'm stuttering like an idiot._

"You?" he asked, trying to help prompt me to say what I couldn't find the courage to tell him.

"I'm… I'm _afraid _to tell you…"

"Afraid to tell me _what_, love? How you feel? Please, Bella, you may keep as many secrets as you'd like from the world. But please, never, never, never keep secrets from _me_. Especially your feelings and what you are thinking. Now, please, tell me what it is that you're afraid of."

He continued to stroke my face and then my neck with his fingers while he waited patiently. He shot me a crooked grin, and in that moment, I knew that I truly could tell him anything in the world.

"I'm intimidated to meet your friends. I mean, _Tanya_. I'm intimidated to meet _her_. I've… heard a lot about her… from Alice and Rose. I know she is going to be beautiful and flawless, and I know she loves you and I'm afraid she is going to hate _me_ because you love me and not her. There. That about sums it up."

I tried to look away, but his gentle hand caught me before I could. He smiled warmly and I felt a shiver of shame as I realized he must have been pitying me. The last thing I wanted was his pity. I was so embarrassed, and I felt my face flush and I thought I might actually begin to cry.

"Is that _all_ you're worried about?" he asked.

"_All?_ It sounds like an awful lot to be worried about, don't you think?" I wanted to melt into a puddle and evaporate away. I began to regret telling him those things and I wished, in that moment, that I could have taken them all back.

"No," he said coolly, "Actually, it sounds like _nothing_ to be worried about, if you ask me. The _fact_ is, Bella, that I love you completely and there is nothing that is going to change that for us. Also, it is true that Tanya is very pretty. Most would call her beautiful, in fact. But _I _never will. You see, she is not beautiful in _my_ eyes. I've seen more of who she really is than most people. I've seen how nonchalant she is regarding her lovers and I've seen her be very cruel to people. I'm sure she will be well-behaved here, though, since she is with her family. And, if she gets out of hand in any way, I promise to take care of it. As for true beauty, Bella… _you_ are truly beautiful," he said, sweeping my hair back and tucking it behind my ear. "There is no one in the world who could, who can, or who will be able to compete with your beauty, in my eyes. I've never wanted anything more than I want you and I never will. Is that not enough to comfort you, my darling?"

I honestly didn't know what to say to that. It was probably the most wonderful thing I had ever heard. I realized that he hadn't been pitying me; that he simply loved me and wanted our lines of communication to always be open. That sounded reasonable enough for one's spouse to want. And I no longer wished I had taken back voicing those worries to him. He recognized them and took them seriously while discrediting their legitimacy all at the same time.

"Oh, Edward," I whispered.

Our lips met one another's with tender, everlasting affection.

"I love you so much, Bella, and I'll never get tired of telling you that."

"I'm sorry I was so… anxious over nothing."

I could truly see that now. After his overwhelming speech of love and adoration, I was no longer worried about meeting Tanya Denali. She was beautiful to most of the world, but not to Edward, and in the end, that's what counted. To him… _I_ was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. I'm so happy you finally told me how you feel. Did you see what happened when you did though, love?"

I gave him a stare. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to have detected.

"Um… I told you and then you showed me why I have nothing to worry about?"

"Right. You told me everything and then _I_ told _you_ everything, and we are both more in love with each other than ever before. Right?"

"Right."

"Then just remember, for the future, to _always_ tell me exactly what's on your mind and I'll always tell you exactly what's on mine. Agreed?"

"Agreed. So, shall I finish driving us back to your house now?"

"Yes, please. I'm happy we were able to get all of this resolved, sweetheart. I wouldn't want you walking into a situation you weren't happy to be in; especially in our own home."

I was so happy that Edward and I had our little talk. I could finally feel relieved and ready to meet the Denali Clan.

…

"Bella!" Alice squealed as we came through the front door, "I'm so glad that you're finally here! And Edward, you'll never believe, but…"

"They're already here?" he finished her sentence for her.

"Yes… they're already here," she said, smiling, "And they're waiting in the formal dining room to meet Bella."

I began to breathe slightly faster all of a sudden. Edward looked at me and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm not nervous," I whispered, trying to believe myself while convincing him.

"Well, good. Because you have nothing to be nervous about." He leaned down and gave me a kiss, then took my hand and we walked together toward the dining room.

"Edward!" said a tall man, who stood at the sight of us entering the room together.

A woman next to him stood as well, and there were two girls and a boy sitting among Rose, Emmett, Jasper, Alice now too, Esme and Carlisle at the table. I looked around, scanning again to be sure I hadn't missed seeing anyone, but there was no head of strawberry blonde to be seen. Had she not come after all?

"Eleazar!" Edward replied, tossing his hands up to give the tall man a hug. "And lovely Carmen," Edward said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You both look well. I would like to introduce you to my fiancé, Bella Swan."

He took my hand and led me in front of him. Carmen gave me a hug and Peter kissed my hand. They exchanged glances with one another, as if they were surprised by something.

"She is still…" Carmen began…

"Human?" Eleazar finished for her.

Edward chuckled. "No, she is not human. She was changed three months ago."

"Her heart beats, though," said Carmen.

"And her hand is so… warm," Eleazar interjected.

"Well, these are special circumstances. Bella is not _exactly_ as we are," said Carlisle with a smile.

"You don't say. Tell me why that is?" Eleazar asked.

"Well," said Esme, "You know of our acquaintances, the werewolves?"

"She didn't strike me as particularly Native American," Carmen said, smiling, "Please forgive me. I didn't realize you were first a werewolf…"

"Oh, I'm not," I said.

"She wasn't born among them," Carlisle said, "But there was a little fiasco a few months back. One of her very good, lifelong friends discovered that she planned on becoming one of us. There was a treaty set in place by his own great-grandfather, which determined that there would be a feud among our clan and their tribe if we turned her into a vampire. He wanted to avoid war as well as keep Bella as human-like as possible. Based on the legends of his tribe, he determined the best route would be to mix his blood with hers so that her heart would always beat and her skin wouldn't change in the sunlight."

"So, in other words, the best of both worlds?" asked Carmen.

"You _could_ say that," said Rose. "But trust me, she _is_ one of us. She is a much-loved member of our family and in just a few days, we will be happy to call her a sister."

Carmen smiled.

"And we will be happy, from this moment of our introduction on, Bella, to call you our friend and niece," Eleazar said kindly.

"Thank you," I said, nodding my head at him in gratitude for his immediate friendship.

"You are a very lucky man," Carmen said, "For your fiancé is very beautiful. And she has a kind presence about her. Please, Bella, let me introduce you to our children. This is our daughter Kate, and her companion Garrett. That makes him as good as a son to us," she said, motioning to a beautiful young woman who looked about nineteen with warm, bright blonde hair and a tall, lean young man who looked maybe in his early twenties. "And this is Irena; another of my daughters," she then motioned to a lovely girl with chin length silvery blonde hair. Her golden eyes popped in contrast to the cool tones in her hair.

"Didn't you have another daughter?" I asked. _The one I have been bracing myself to meet? The one who is in love with Edward and who makes no secret about it? The one who I think I still might be afraid of, now that I think about it?_

Carmen's expression changed from pleasantness to a sort of worried look.

"Yes," she said, "We do have a third daughter. She has wandered off somewhere, though. I'm afraid she will not be joining us right away, I guess. I'm sure she'll… _come_ _around_ eventually. In the meantime, shall the rest of us catch up, Esme?"

With that, the subject was officially changed. Everyone began chatting about things they were privy to because they had all known each other for so long while Edward and I sat down at the large table. It was interesting to listen to everyone catch back up. They exchanged stories of their pasts together and what they hoped the future might bring them.

"Do you remember," Garrett asked Jasper, "That time back in St. Louis? Remember all that cash?"

Jasper laughed and nodded his head.

"What cash?" I asked, suddenly interested in what seemed to be a funny story the pair shared.

"Well, darlin'," Jasper started telling the tale with large gestures, as if on stage performing, "You see, back in the West, and in the early West, mind you, back when men made their own laws just so long as they could enforce 'em, well… there used to be six of us on a team, and in the eighteen-nineties we'd hold up trains, blow the safes open, damage the mail cars and all that while vexing some of the finer folk, and take off with the goods. It was a kind of flattery, you know, the authorities sayin' our heads were worth two thousand dollars a piece, dead or alive. But that's back when two thousand dollars was more like a billion dollars. No one could imagine holding that much money… but we didn't have to imagine, did we, Garrett?" he laughed.

"You used to rob trains?" I gasped.

"And ships and banks," Garrett snickered.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, completely stunned that such a nice guy as Jasper was involved in any of this.

"Well, I'm not necessarily proud of it," Jasper smiled weakly.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Jasper," Garrett stuck him in the ribs with his elbow, "You were the finest leader we ever had. And you weren't so bashful about sharing all your stories _last_ time we were together. Hey, do you remember that _kid_ we picked up in Sundance, Wyoming? Whatever happened to him?"

"I think he ended up robbing a bunch of Union Pacific's. He ended up with Parker's gang. They really were quite the wild bunch!" Jasper answered, chuckling under his breath a bit.

"Well, what did you steal?" I asked, wondering how bad it actually was.

"Everything," Jasper admitted, "Jewelry, coins, gold-plated cufflinks, bank notes, cash, fancy scarf pins… pretty much anything."

"Have you ever heard of the Wilcox holdup of 1899?" Garrett asked, grinning wide.

"No…" I replied, wondering if I _should_ have known.

"Well, your brother here made quite the piece of history _that_ day," he snickered.

"What they could never solve for," Jasper snickered as he spoke, "Is _how_ those bank notes kept popping up all over the place _after_ the six guys were tried and sentenced… Montana, the New Mexico territory, across Texas lines… We managed to spend those things _everywhere_, and no one said shit about it. I guess that's because, if they were being really honest with themselves, they didn't _want_ to find us. They probably realized that we were too much for their pissy little revolvers and they didn't want to go risking their lives over a bunch of criminals they could get away with saying they already caught?"

"I guess they didn't care that they caught the wrong ones," Garrett shrugged.

"Nope. Sure didn't," Jasper sighed with amusement. "Not that those six who landed up in our rightful punishment didn't deserve it, though. Rotten to the core, every last one of them. They would have been caught for doin' worse sooner or later, anyway. It was for the best we let them canker in their jail holes."

"So, you robbed people _and_ framed innocent men?" I asked, as calmly as possible.

None of this new information changed the way I thought of Jasper, or the way I felt about him, but I just had no idea that he had such a… _colorful_ history.

"Oh, honey, they were _anything but_ innocent. Believe you me! Whoo!" Jasper replied, still relaxed as he had ever been.

"Don't get the wrong impression of _me_, though, Bella," Garrett said suddenly, "I was a strict patriot until I met Jasper here. He brought out that spunk in me, just like everyone else who ever met him. I didn't know it back then that our paths would cross again one day. He was picked up by Alice and I was picked up by Kate, and low and behold, here we are… two vampires who don't just resist the ways of robbing, but who also resist the stuff that keeps us going strong. I've been free of human blood for years now. Give us some time and we'll be as squeaky-clean as those angels in heaven's choir. I admit, I've been on the bandwagon a little longer than Jasper here, but he's really toned down over the last century, I would say."

"Thanks, Garrett," Jasper nodded his way.

"You're welcome, brother. But what about _you_, Miss Swan? What's the worst _you've_ ever done?" Garrett asked. He then turned his full attention on me now, waiting for my reply.

"Well, um," I started, trying to come up with something as dangerous and diabolical as them, "I punched a girl in the face at school once?"

He looked at me seriously for a moment and then blurted out a laugh.

"That's great!" he hollered, "You punched someone in the face? It's just too cute!" he laughed. "I like her, Edward. I really _like_ her. She's a keeper, you know? I'm glad you're with us now, Bella. Take care of our man Edward here. He deserves a special lady like you."

He turned to walk off then, after giving my hand a kiss. He kept laughing lightly at the worst thing I had ever done as he murmured to himself, "Punched a girl in the face… _love_ it…" Jasper got up and followed him away. Edward sat next to me, smiling at me. It felt like I wasn't just meeting new people, but getting to know better those I have already come to see as family... such as Jasper.

"So, Bella," Carmen said as she was coming to sit next to me. Esme was behind her, and Edward offered her his seat so that I was sitting between the two ladies.

"I'm just going to run upstairs and grab something," he said, giving me a gentle kiss before he took his leave.

"I'm very interested in learning more about you," Carmen continued. "I have never _met_ the wolves, but I have always wanted to. Carlisle was just mentioning their new change in leadership and about the new treaty. I think their legends, from what I've heard from Carlisle, sound just _fascinating_. So, how is it that this… Jacob Black… how is it that his blood has made you different from what you would have been?"

"Well… there's the heartbeat," I started, "And the skin. But I also sleep a little and I still eat what humans eat. I'm not attracted to blood of any kind, though I do prefer my steaks a little more rare."

"Esme was mentioning that your body could do interesting things that ours can't?..."

Oh. I got it. She was getting at my being able to become pregnant. I was flattered that she was going about approaching the topic in such a delicate manner.

"Yes, Esme is correct. From what I understand, I will be able to have children," I answered the question that she didn't really ask.

"So, tell me, if you wouldn't mind, and I'm so sorry to be so nosey, but… do you and Edward have plans for children in the near future?" she asked.

"Um, I wouldn't really call it the _near_ future. But someday, yes. We would both like children _someday_," I answered.

"I think it is just so very amazing," Carmen said with awe. It was almost a kind of reverence. "You _really_ do have the best of both worlds, Bella. And you will have a wonderful husband, too. Edward is a perfect gentleman. We all always knew that the girl he would select for himself one day would be a very special lady. And indeed, you _are_," she said, smiling warmly at me.

"Thank you," I replied, blushing a little from her fondness.

"And you blush as well? My, my… you _are_ quite a fascinating creature, Bella Swan, if you don't mind my saying so," she said so very sweetly.

"Oh, thanks."

We continued to talk, and it wasn't long before the guys all ended up at one side of the table talking about their _'manly'_ things while we women gathered around the other side talking of more _'feminine' _things. It was over half an hour later before Edward returned to the room. He entered looking a bit disconcerted. I saw him exchange strange glances with Jasper before turning to me and looking once again like the very-well-put-together gentleman that he was.

"I'm very sorry I took so long," he said, sitting next to me and taking my hand in his.

"That's okay," I said. "Did you get what you went up for?"

"Not really."

…

A/N: There is a bit of inside humor between Jasper and Garrett. Here is an explanation on some of it: Robert Leroy Parker, aka Butch Cassidy, started a gang called the _Wild Bunch_. The _kid_ they picked up in Sundance, Wyoming was Harry Longabaugh; aka the Sundance Kid. There's actually a lot of really fun history behind these guys, and I thought it would be neat to have Jasper in on it too. Plus, I could always see him robbing trains and banks in the Wild West! Can't you? :)

All of that aside, though… I wonder what Edward has been up to... What do you think took him so long? I guess we'll find out next…

Until next time,

Stephanie

P.S. Just a _random_ vocab. word:

forthright: (adj.) going straight to the point; leaving nothing concealed; proceeding in a straight course; honest; sincere; undisguised...


	5. Nothing At All

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day (2010) to everyone! Also, I'm so happy that "Forthright" is now its own story. I am going to post a final note at the end of "The Secret" after posting this chapter, just to thank everyone for reading and reviewing and to remind all the readers that the story continues _here_ now…

Other than that, let's get on with the show! I don't own any of the Twilight characters; they belong to Stephenie Meyer. I don't own any of the cameo guest stars either… all characters other than the ones belonging to the Twilight series are reviewers/contest winners/ etc. What they say and do is made up by me, but how they look is really how they look and I do _try_ to capture the essence of their personalities as much as possible.

Now, where were we?... Oh, right! It's _Edward's _turn!

…

**EPOV**

Everything was going so well! I was so happy that the Denali's were so accepting of Bella. It is exactly what my lovely sweetheart needed to be made comfortable. As they introduced themselves and spoke to her, I could hear in their thoughts that they were excited to learn more about Bella. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Carmen asked Bella about her ability to have children. She was trying to find a way to ask as gently as possible… Carmen would be so embarrassed if she ever thought she had offended someone. She was afraid she might embarrass Bella by talking openly about such intimate matters. She was truly a very sweet lady.

When she finally did find the courage to come ask Bella about it all, with Esme at her side to help guide her questions of interest, I decided to let the ladies have their time to talk about feminine matters without a guy's ear being in the way. Now would be the perfect time to run upstairs and get Bella her special gift anyway.

"I'm just going to run upstairs and grab something," I whispered to Bella with a gentle kiss.

I ran up the stairs and down the hall and pushed the door to my room open. I walked over to my desk to grab the box that contained the special gift, but it was missing. I opened every single drawer and frantically tore through everything inside and around the desk, trying to find the little velvet box.

"Looking for something?" oozed a sticky-sweet voice from behind me.

_Shit. _

_Tanya._

I turned around to politely ask her to leave my room before she had the opportunity to make me look like less than a gentleman. The _last _thing I needed was for this woman with a terrible reputation regarding chastity to be in _my_ room just days before my wedding to another woman. When I turned around, I was completely taken aback by what I saw!

Tanya was on my bed. She wasn't just sitting innocently on the side of it, fully clothed. She was on her spread knees in the center with her back arched slightly and her chest pushed high. She rolled her head around, trying to seduce me I supposed, and she ran her hands through her long, wavy blonde hair, going from back to front. She was wearing lacey red lingerie and glossy heels to match. She looked like a whore and she was acting like one too. I rolled my eyes and leaned against my desk, crossing my arms.

"_What_ the fuck are you doing here?" I asked her sternly.

It wasn't like me at all to cuss in front of a lady, but I had to remember to not feel badly for the word. After all, Tanya Denali was _not_ a lady.

Her eyes narrowed for a second, but she masked that over with a false smile. The kind the models have in the toothpaste ads. It was disgusting.

"I'm here as a guest," she replied, sounding innocent.

"A guest to a _wedding_, Tanya. Do you _really_ need to be reminded of that fact?"

"Oh, Edward," she sang.

She lifted herself up slightly and shifted so that she was lying on her stomach, her hands under her chin and her legs bent at the knee, heels high in the air. She was playing 'pin-up poster girl' and I wasn't _about_ to buy her cheap shit.

"Tanya, I'm telling you now just so you can be spared making an idiot of yourself. I want to save you the trouble and embarrassment this will cause you later. Please put your clothes on and go sit downstairs with your family."

"Ugh," she sighed heavily, sitting up and scooting to the edge.

She sat with her arms crossed and her legs crossed and her dainty little nose high in the air.

"What I don't understand, Edward, is how you think you're actually going to pass _this_ up," she hissed, rolling her palms down her scantily clad body the way a desperate slut might do. She seemed to be turning herself on more than _me_. Again, I rolled my eyes and I began to laugh.

"Tanya, you are mistaken. That's not what you don't understand. What you really don't understand is how two people can love one another for eternity. Since you've never experienced that sort of attraction… that sort of… _ true love_, of course it naturally follows that you can't get why some guys are not interested in simple body parts. It is true that your exterior needs very little improvement, if any at all. However, what you are on the inside is probably beyond repair. I will have nothing to do with…"

Within half a flash, she wrapped her filthy claws around the collar of my shirt and threw me onto the bed. I was still trying to manage figuring out how I went from the _here_ to the _there_ when she pushed her tongue into my mouth and ran her fingers through my hair.

"Oh hell, Tanya… NO!" I shouted into her open mouth.

I pushed her away, but her arms were wrapped around my neck and her legs were straddling me tightly.

"My God, Tanya! Do you really have so little respect for me in my own home? And what about your family, who are guests here? Are you really so determined to shame them so?"

"Oh, fuck, Edward! You've _got_ to be kidding me! My _family_? Do you really think I care about any of that right now?"

She lifted my shirt slightly and began to run her filthy paws all over my abs and chest. I seized her by her wrists and pulled her hands away.

"They _should _matter all the time, Tanya. Including right now! What would Carmen think of you now? And what about your poor sisters? You're going to give all the ladies in your family a horrible reputation merely because they are your related to _you_. That ought _not _to be the way you wish to pay them back for taking you in and seeing to it that you're cared for."

She clenched her teeth and let out a hiss before she spoke very quietly, though she might as well have been shouting; for that was how intense she was in this moment.

"Well they _don't_! Nothing does. Nothing matters if you won't let me have you. You are the only one I want. You are the only one I've ever wanted. What is it about this _fact_ that you're not getting, Edward? You've known how I feel for so long, and you have always refused to love me back. Just tell me _why_ that is? _Please_?"

"Tanya," I answered, crawling out from under her and standing up to readjust my shirt and hair, "You are mistaken entirely."

"Then you _do_ love me, Edward?" she smiled hopefully.

"No. I don't," I said, and then her smile faded and her eyes narrowed once again. "And _you_ don't love _me_ either. You have only ever taken interest in me because I have not taken interest in you. Now that I am on the brink of taking a vow to devote myself entirely to only one, who is _not_ you, you feel more passionate than ever and you honestly have fooled yourself into believing that what you feel is love. But I will tell you now that it is not love that you feel. It is merely lust. And lust is a blessing for you, because it will be easy for you to overcome. Your heart need not break in this moment over what I am telling you."

"Oh, but it _will_!" she cried.

She fell to her knees and looked up at me with a begging expression. I felt disgusted by seeing her this way. She honestly had no idea what love was and she was begging me for something that I was completely not willing to give her, or anyone else but Bella, for that matter.

"It won't," I argued. "Please, Tanya, stand up."

"No," she cried, nuzzling her face into my leg, a little too close to 'front and center' for my liking. "Please, please, please," she whispered, twisting her fingers upward, massaging my legs.

I actually _slapped_ her hand away as she continued to move upward and when she tried to slip her fingers down my pants.

"Get up!" I demanded.

She stood before me and sulked.

"This is entirely inappropriate," I hissed at her, "And no one is going to appreciate what you are trying to do here! Now listen!"

"No! _You _listen to _me_ for once," she seethed, "You don't get to tell me how I do or do not feel! You don't get to decide if my heart is breaking or not! I'm telling you that it is, and that's because _it is_! And there is only one way to unbreak it. Won't you even hear what that one little way is?"

I wasn't going to bother entertaining any thoughts she might have.

"I don't want to hear."

"Well, brace yourself, Edward Cullen, because you're going to _have_ to hear it!"

She walked over to the side of the bed and reached under the pillow, pulling out the velvet box I had been searching for earlier.

"You want this?" she asked, lightly tossing the box back and forth between her fingers.

"Yes. I do."

"Hmmm," she giggled evilly, "Then here you go."

She tossed me the box. I opened it up only to find that it was empty.

"Where's the ring?" I asked.

"Oh… the ring?" She flashed a sinister smile and the way her eyes bore through me reminded me of the way a devil honed in on a particular soul for destruction. "Well… let's just say I… _hid_… it. Just like we all have things to hide… including _you _and your true feelings for me. And if you want it back, you will have to hear me out, I'm afraid."

I cringed and pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers. This was absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't believe I had to stoop so low as to have to listen to another word of this nonsense.

"Alright, Tanya. _What _do you have to say to me?"

I didn't _want_ to hear anything. In fact, I wanted to tackle her to the ground, wrap my hands around her throat, and shake her until she returned Bella's ring.

"Well, Edward, first of all, I should tell you I'm a little disappointed."

"About what?"

"How tiny that diamond is," she laughed.

I bought Bella a new ring. It was a small heart wrapped in silver wire. It was something that would mean more to Bella than the giant rock I used to propose. I wanted my love to feel comfortable wearing the symbol of our love. Most women would prefer the ten carat diamond ring I offered the first time, but not my sweet Bella.

She loved me for me completely, and I loved her for her. Therefore, it did not affect my pride in the least that she requested a smaller diamond. I was only too happy to oblige her, so long as it made her happy.

"And," Tanya continued to jeer, "She is so… _ordinary_. Not _nearly _good enough for you, Edward. There is nothing special about _her_ the way there is about _me_. If you were to line the two of us up and ask which of us was the more attractive woman _everyone_ would say it's _me_!"

"Not _everyone_," I reminded her."

"That's right, Edward," she said slyly, stalking toward me the way a lion does its prey. "_You_ are not attracted by such fancy things. I wonder why that is?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off before I could even begin. She placed her long finger over my lips and hushed me.

"Shh, Edward. I don't even want to hear all the reasons why you… _love_," she choked out the word, "Bella Swan and not me. All you have to focus on now is getting that thrifty little ring back, huh?"

She grazed her lips over my cheek and around my jaw and down my neck. I stood there, as if I were made of stone. I was unmoved and unswayed by her final attempts to seduce me.

"Nothing?" she asked concerning her efforts to move my heart in her direction, "Nothing at all?"

She ran her fingers down my back and scraped them across my clothed chest and slung her thumb in one of my belt loops.

I shook my head. Indeed, I did feel _nothing at all_ for this snake of a woman.

"You are the poison apple that every man would do well to avoid," I whispered in her ear as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"Oh, Edward, I would so gladly be your Eve, if you would only _let _me. Please don't _tempt_ me so," she giggled.

"I would never tempt you, Tanya. Do you forget that there is nothing I want from you?"

"Kiss me!" she demanded.

"What? No!"

"That is the cost of getting your dinky little ring back, Edward. You will never be able to find it, so just do it already. I have tried to kiss you at least a hundred times since I've known you, and you have never once kissed me back, let alone attempted to kiss _me_. All I want is one little, innocent kiss."

I took her hand to my lips and gave it a kiss.

"That's not going to do," she smiled. "I want it here," she pointed to her lips.

"No."

"Then you don't get your ring back!"

…

I was on my way back downstairs after stalking angrily out of the room.

Tanya Denali was absolutely demented if she really believed she could get me to kiss her!

I entered the formal dining room and Jasper must have felt my hot anger.

"_Edward! You're off the chart buddy! What the fuck happened to you?" _he thought.

I nodded my head at him, signaling that I would let him in on everything later. For now, I just had to remain calm. I didn't want to give Bella any reason to feel threatened just days before her own wedding. I was still bound and determined to do whatever it would take to make this the most beautiful weekend of her entire life.

I went to sit next to my lovely fiancé, who knew nothing of what just took place between me and the wicked witch who she perceived as her own personal competition. I felt so terrible that she would eventually have to know of how awful Tanya was. But then… maybe she wouldn't _have_ to know anything at all…

"I'm very sorry I took so long," I said coolly, trying to forget about the drama upstairs.

I took her hand in mine and drew little imaginary hearts on her palm.

"That's okay," she smiled, "Did you get what you went up for?"

_The ring? No. All I got was a terrible encounter with a rancid bitch who, I just know, is going to try to make your life a living hell for the next two days. Not to mention, I have no idea where your wedding ring is and I am not willing to do 'whatever it takes' to get it back. _

"Not really," I replied honestly.

"Edward, are you okay? You seem put off. What's the matter?"

_A beautiful woman is going to try to tank your self-confidence at the very time in your life when you deserve to be made to feel special and the center of attention, and I'm afraid you won't be able to see how amazing you are if you compare yourself next to her because she is everything the world perceives as alluring, but she doesn't hold even a small flame next to your blazing beauty._

"Nothing," I said, taking her hand to my lips and honoring it with a kiss of true love, "Nothing at all."

…

A/N: Again, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, and thank you to all of you who invest your time into reading the story!

Symbolism Alert: Yes, yes... there was a bit of symbolism in that Tanya told Edward that she would gladly be his _Eve_... for that is indeed what Bella _will_ be... (Eve means "mother of all living")... so, needless to say, there will be babies involved before too long... tee hee!

-Stephanie


	6. Feel

A/N: Thank you so much to all who review, send messages and add this story to your favorites! An author with a full inbox is a happy author… and you all make me happy, so thank you very much for that.

-Stephanie

…

**EPOV**

My family and the Denali's were still gathered around the large, formal dining table catching up on everything when Tanya decided to make her _grand entrance_.

"Hello, everyone," she cooed to her _audience_ as she made her way through the double doors, wearing a bright red, tight-fitted, strapless dress with her glossy matching pumps.

Rose and Alice narrowed their eyes a little and gave quick glances toward Bella, who probably didn't realize that she was squeezing my right hand more tightly than usual.

Tanya sashayed over to Bella and me and stood next to the empty chair on my left.

"Well?" she asked me, grinning sweetly and coating her giggly voice in satin, it seemed, "Aren't you going to offer me a place to sit?"

I stood, as was probably expected of a gentleman, and pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you," she said with a too-sweet smile, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I pushed her chair in for her a little too swiftly, making sure she was pushed into the table as I did so.

"Ouch," she mumbled with a frown, but then quickly turned her phony sham of a pretense back on, for she was quite the swindler and could manage to fabricate things with her subtle nuances in gestures.

I sat back down next to Bella, who I placed my arm around tightly.

"Hello there," she smiled at Bella, "_I'm_ Tanya. Tanya Denali? I'm sure you must have already heard _so_ much about me from Edward here…" she giggled, rolling her eyes a little as if to suggest that there was nothing in the world others talked of other than her.

Tanya reached her arm past me and offered her hand to Bella who timidly shook it.

"Nice to meet you," Bella said shyly.

"Thank you," Tanya nodded. "You _know_, Edward and I go _waaaay_ back."

She slid her surreptitious, eager fingers across and down my shoulder and around the rim of my shirt collar then scraped her nasty daggers-for-nails against the nape of my neck. I pushed my shoulder out to try to get her to let up from her inappropriate maneuvers. After all, any man, no matter how gentle he may be, could only handle so much of her sly trickery before he would feel forced to call her out verbally, even if that would entail making the rest of our guests feel less than comfortable because of her unsuitable efforts to rub her external beauty in other's faces.

"Hmm, really?" Bella asked, her own eyes narrowing a bit.

"Oh, yes. There was once a time when some thought he and _I_ might get married," she giggled and patted my knee, "But we were just never really interested in one another that way, were we honey?" she asked with a treacherous, sneery smile.

"No. Not at all," I said sternly, giving her a dirty look as I pushed the words out with forceful intent. "Not even in the least were we ever interested in one another."

I picked up her hand and removed it from my knee.

"Well, anyway," Tanya continued as if she were not at all offended by my brutal honesty, though I knew better than that, "Congratulations Bella. You are very lucky to catch _this_ one. We thought he would _never _settle down. Some were beginning to talk, you know? Wondering if maybe he were defective in some way? After all, he seems attractive enough at a glance, doesn't he? But _why_ couldn't he find someone to settle down with was always the question at hand. But I'm glad to see there is _finally_ someone who will take him as he is," she teased rudely, "After all, he can be quite the sullen one, don't you think so?"

"Oh, I don't know Tanya. He always seems pretty happy around _me_," Bella replied lightly.

I saw Alice and Rose grin out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help but smile too. I didn't expect Bella to play Tanya's game, but I felt a certain manner of pride in her setting her boundaries up and not allowing Tanya to crawl under her skin and fester there.

"Hmm," Tanya muttered, "If you say so. I'm afraid I'll have to take your word for it, Bella, dear. I haven't yet seen any improvement with my own two eyes."

With that, she feigned a smile, got up out of her seat and headed toward her sisters. I scanned through her shallow thoughts, attempting to discover any clues that might lead me to the location of Bella's ring. However, she must have known that I would be attempting this, for when her thoughts finally did turn to the ring, they weren't thoughts of where it was hidden.

I saw her sliding the delicate symbol over her own bony little finger, remembering how it felt to wear the sign of my love. I was disgusted to see the emblem on her hand before it met its true master.

"_I think it looks better on _my_ hand… what do you think, Edward, darling?" _she thought wickedly.

She side-glanced at me and tossed me a nefarious smile. I pursed my lips angrily and shook my head at her in disapproval.

"_I would be willing to bet that I look better in a lot of things… like _this_ for instance…"_

She began to undress herself in her mind. She was back in her lingerie, sliding the straps of her lacey bra down her shoulders and unhitching the clasp in the front. I felt sick as she imagined herself over me, undressing me now too, and running her lips down my neck, down my chest, down my abs, sliding my pants down, sliding her tongue down…

"Stop it," I whispered sharply.

"Stop what?" Bella asked me suddenly.

The worry in her voice startled me and I looked down to meet her tender chocolate eyes.

"Nothing, sweetheart," I said with a gentle smile.

It was more important than ever for me to remain calm in this particular moment. I couldn't allow Bella to know of how disgusting Tanya's thoughts were, or it might shatter her confidence just days before the loveliest day of her life. I couldn't allow anything, or any _one_, to ruin this time for her.

"But you said, 'Stop it,'" she said with confusion, "And I don't know what I should stop, exactly…"

"Oh, it's not you, love. I was just thinking over something from earlier. It's nothing, really…"

_Nothing_. That's really what it ought to have been, and yet, it was _something_. I was no closer to finding her ring than I had been, and I immediately wished then that I hadn't bothered with the warped journey into the mind of the crazy lunatic that seemed to desire the destruction of every man she set her eyes on. I wasn't about to get wrapped up in Tanya's twisted mind-games. I would just have to forget about the ring. I would just have to cut my losses and let it go.

After I managed successfully to ignore Tanya for another hour and a half, my family and the Denali's decided it was time for a group hunt. They wouldn't be back for a few hours, and it would be nice to finally have some alone time with Bella.

"I really liked Carmen," Bella smiled as we were walking up the stairs to my room.

"Oh yeah? She is quite charming, isn't she?"

"She's just so… sweet and calm. I'm really happy they're all here for our wedding," she said brightly.

I wondered if she really meant _all_ of them. She hadn't mentioned anything specific about Tanya yet, but I was beginning to wonder if maybe that would change now that all the others had left the house.

"I'm really happy that you're happy, love," I encouraged her good mood.

"Oh, I _am_! And you know what? I shouldn't have had a reason to be so nervous. I can see that _now_, and as I think back to earlier, I honestly can't remember what it was that I was so worried about. I mean, I thought it would be the end of the world, meeting Tanya and all, but then she came in wearing that over-the-top number, which was almost _exactly_ what I thought she would be like, and when it dawned on me that the worst-case-scenario was in fact actually happening, I realized it wasn't as terrible as I imagined it would be, and I was completely fine with her after that. Honestly, I don't feel threatened by her at all, at this point."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she laughed, "And she _is_ beautiful and all that… but so rude that it masks her beauty. It's unfortunate that she treats people the way she does. I feel more like I should pity her rather than feel jealous of her. I kind of wonder though, if maybe she weren't such an off-putting bitch, maybe the two of you _would_ have ended up together?"

"I doubt it. It's not that she isn't appealing to the eye, but even if she weren't an _'off-putting bitch,' _as you say, and as I agree that she is," I gave her a wink, "She still would be no match for _you_…"

"And why's that?" she asked with a confident grin.

"I think you know why, honey," I said sweetly.

I picked her up and sat her down on the end of my bed. She scooted toward the pillows at the head of the bed, and I moved over her, straddling her.

"I know that you love me, Edward," she sighed happily, "And I know that you know that I love you."

"You sure know a lot, sweetheart," I smiled at her, reaching down so that my lips could finally meet hers.

I was truly the luckiest man in the world. I literally had it all. I had forever with the only woman that would ever be a perfect match for me, and she wanted me the same way I wanted her. There was tomorrow, and then would come the day that I had been looking forward to since the moment I decided that it wasn't absurd to love her… that it wasn't greedy or wrong to ask her to stay with me for all time.

"I sure do," she said with a grin, "And I want to tell you what else I know."

"Okay then. Do tell."

"Well…" she bit her lip and looked away shyly, "It's just that…"

"What is it, love?"

"I just want you to know that I think I may have been a little 'off-putting' myself."

"How's that even possible?"

"It's just… the car and all… I just keep thinking about how you said that you wouldn't mind being seen with me in my truck… that you wouldn't mind being seen with me if it meant that you had to live in a cardboard box."

"It's a fact, honey. Truly, I would follow you anywhere and do anything for you."

"I know. And I want the same to be said of _me_… concerning _you_. I would follow you anywhere, Edward. And you make me feel so beautiful. When I'm with you, I _am_ beautiful, and I don't want to hide that anymore. I don't want to hide behind what I think the world should expect of me. It's not about the car… or the truck… it's about… how much I love you."

"I know you love me, Bella. You show me every day. You are all I live for and without you I am truly nothing."

"I want to give you something. For a wedding gift. I mean, what can I possibly give the guy that has, or could have, everything? So… _here_."

She sat up, reached in her pocket and pulled out the keys to her truck. She dropped them in my hand and looked me square in the eyes.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's what you asked for."

"I asked for?..."

"Yes. When you asked me to marry you, you asked for my truck to be driven off a cliff. Here you go."

My mouth fell open a bit and she snickered at that, pushing it closed for me.

"Bella… I don't know what to say."

Truly, I was at a loss for words. I had always wanted to be rid of her truck, but I came to realize that it was a symbol. It was the only thing she owned in the world that was hers and hers alone. In giving me her keys, she was really giving me that last thing that made her Isabella Marie _Swan_.

"I can't accept this," I hesitated.

"You _can_, Edward. I _want_ you to take these keys. Do whatever you want with the truck. It's officially yours now. _I_ drive an Aston Martin," she grinned and winked.

"I…"

"Edward. Really, it's _your_ truck."

"I… _thank you_, Bella."

It was all I could think to say in that moment. She didn't give me a pile of scrap metal. She gave me herself. _All_ of herself.

"Oh, but that's not all…" she said slyly, unbuttoning her shirt.

"It's not?"

I smiled at her and tore the remaining buttons away, then ripped her jeans off. I sighed with pleasure at what I saw before me.

_Black lace with little pink hearts… yummy._

"I like it," I smiled.

"More than the truck even?"

I let out a small laugh and began to ravish my true love with kisses. I started under her jaw, trailed down her neck, over her shoulder and I bit each of the straps and slid them down her arms. I licked all over her tummy and palmed the soft swell of her breasts as I scooted her panties down with my teeth then pulled them the rest of the way down and threw them into the air. Where they landed, I didn't even care.

"Thank you so much for loving me, Bella," I sighed into her hip as I planted kisses there sweetly.

She pushed her hands through my hair, tugging it at the roots, and sliding her open hands down my neck and across my shoulders.

"It is so easy to love you, Edward. It has always been."

I caressed from her hips to her knees with my tongue. She pushed her knees together and I delicately pulled them apart.

"You have no reason to blush in front of me, Bella Cullen."

"I won't be Bella _Cullen_ for another two days," she gasped as I bit the soft, smooth skin of her inner thighs.

"Hmm," I teased, "Maybe you won't have that name for two days, love, but you _are_ mine. And you will always be mine. Tell me so. Tell me you will always be mine."

"I will always be yours."

I took her in my arms and placed her over me. She was straddling me in just the right way. She reached down and unbuttoned my shirt, then tore it away from me in one smooth motion. She cast it away, and it was now just a rag on my floor. Her next victim was the pants… which she didn't even bother to unbutton. She just tore them away as well.

"My, my, Bella," I tisked, "It seems to me as if there is something you're after."

"Oh, there is!" she smiled.

She leaned over me and began to bite my chest and I felt myself grow ever harder as she moved her little forays up my neck. The heat coming off this woman was incredible! She became slick and I groaned with desire. Her body was just begging mine to attack hers. We wrapped ourselves around one another and we rolled off the bed. She giggled as she landed on top of me, but didn't cease her nipping and biting. She only grew more aggressive, and so did I.

I pushed myself into her, and began to thrust with violent passion.

"Harder," she whispered in my ear.

I obliged her and began to pump with more vigor as she moaned at the sensation the friction was creating between us.

"Harder?" I asked.

She traced her fingertips over my mouth and I drew one in and bit it.

"Yes," she sighed as she rolled her head back and closed her eyes, "Harder."

I gripped her hips between the palms of my hands and forced her down further and up higher as I continued to pump her.

"Oh God, Edward!"

"Tell me what you like, Bella."

"You," she whimpered.

"Me what?"

"Doing this to me…"

"_What_ am I doing to you, baby?"

She gasped, "Fucking me."

"That's right."

I pushed her down to the ground and she wrapped her legs around my waist as I slid between them. I continued to thrust into her. I stared down at the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. Her eyes were closed and her face was angelic. She was biting her lip, her arms were wrapped around my neck and her fingers were curling inward.

"Open your eyes, baby," I demanded of her.

She did as I said and she gazed at me through narrowed, wanton eyes. Her mouth parted slightly as she began to moan.

"I'm not done with you yet," I said sharply.

"Edward… I can't… I can't…"

"You _can_."

She was begging for release, but I wanted to make it last longer. She closed her eyes again and turned her head to her left.

"Keep your eyes open. I want you to see what you do to me."

Again, she did as I said.

"Look at me," I said sternly.

I wanted her to see me. I wanted her to witness my release in her. I wanted her to see my face and see what only she could make me feel.

I began to thrust more violently still, over and over. I wanted to let her feel what she felt for as long as I could handle it. I wanted her to sense how much I loved her. I always would tell her… I would never let a day, or even an hour if I could help it, pass us by where I didn't declare my love for her out loud. But I wanted her to _feel_ it too.

I continued to pump and she couldn't hold off any longer. Her walls began to clinch around my cock, which triggered my own release as well. I leaned down to lick her neck as her orgasm stroked my own. She cried out suddenly and then her body went limp under mine.

"I love you, Bella," I whispered in her ear.

She pulled me closely to her and wrapped her arms and legs around me. She held me there for many moments, gliding her delicate fingers through my hair and panting heavily into my neck.

"I love you too," she sighed.

I rolled us over so that she was on top of me now, and I held her in my arms.

"You are the only one for me," I said, trailing kisses along her face.

She closed her eyes, her breathing became steady, and I picked her up and placed her under the covers of my bed. I tucked her in and then got dressed.

It was time to find Jasper and Emmett. It was time to figure some stuff out.


	7. Bella Finds Lace

**BPOV**

I rarely did sleep anymore, after the change and all, but what Edward could do to me really had a way of exhausting me; body, mind and spirit. Hours must have passed me by as I lay in the bed we had just shared intimately.

I opened my eyes slowly, taking in the scene. The room was empty and the night was creeping its way over the dusty rose sunset, about to hang its curtain of stars. I rolled over and buried my face in my lover's pillow and breathed in his scent. It was heavenly. I thought of Edward's seraphic presence and I felt my heartbeat begin to accelerate once again. God, there was nothing this man could not have from me… there was no part of me that I was not willing to give freely. I was his completely, and I wanted to remain that way forever.

Whenever I looked into his eyes, I was bound and captured there. Whenever he pressed his lips to mine, I became his forever all over again. The shivers that ran through my limbs and to my core as he caressed my skin always felt brand new… _every_ touch the _first_ touch. All of my senses were captivated by him, and every day I woke up only to fall as in love with him as I did the first time. He lifted me out of the world I had been subject to my whole life; the one where I could have measured with the strictest of line and rule… but he swept me into him and brought me to a new reality that I felt with my heart and imagination.

We explored one another often, and I giggled to myself at having realized that I knew his skin better than I knew my own anymore. Any bed I shared with Edward had become a place of luxury when he was over me and in me and pulsing through every vein in my body alongside my blood and hunger for him. I would never exchange these priceless moments with him… not for the entire world. Edward Cullen had become my poison, and I was only too thrilled to relish in every last drop of him.

"Mmm," I hummed in complete satisfaction.

I was so happy in this moment... so satisfied and so... comfortable.

I sprawled out under the soft, oversized down comforter and stretched my body between my toes and fingertips. I slid my hands under his pillow to wrap it about my head as I faced the ceiling, and I arched my back to stretch. Something bright caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I cast the pillow aside and gasped at what I saw…

_A red lace thong? But I don't own a…_

My mind reeled as I tried to figure out what _this_ could have been doing under Edward's pillow. It became difficult to breathe and something heavy pushed its way downward into the pit of my stomach. I pinched the scanty garment between my thumb and index finger, trying to touch as little of it as possible while I lifted and examined it. There _had_ to be some kind of mistake here… didn't there?

I looked carefully at what little cloth there was holding the lacy strips of ribbon together and saw two little cursive letters embroidered on the left side of the front: _"TD."_

_T… D…? _

There was only one woman I knew with those initials, and she was wearing the same shade of crimson just hours ago when she reached her snotty hand toward me to introduce herself.

I tossed them away, wanting nothing to do with them. I literally jumped out of the bed where I had felt so safe, but now felt so alienated by, and gathered my clothes. Not just the ones off the floor that I wore in, but _all_ of them. I shoved them in my faded green canvas hobo bag and hightailed it out of there.

_Shit. My keys! I gave them to Edward._

There was only one way out of here and back to my house, and it was by way of a higher mode of transportation than I felt comfortable in at the moment. I bit my lip and ran my fingers through my fucked up sex hair, trying to decide where to go from here.

If I stayed, I would have to face something I wasn't sure I could handle at the moment. I had to get the hell out of here and get some things figured out on my own. I didn't want to hear anything yet… not from anyone… even Edward. I just wanted to have some space and some time to sort through all the possibilities. I cussed in frustration. There was no question about it now. I _had _to take the Aston.

I grabbed the keys to the luxury sports car off of Edward's desk on my way out of his room. I didn't look back once as I ran down the stairs as quickly as I could, which was pretty damn fast these days. I ran out of the front door and headed through the side door of the garage. I pulled the cover off the car before hopping in and backing it out. The tires squealed as I made my exit.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I guess I was just too stunned in that moment. Deep down, my heart kept telling me to settle down. It was _sure_ that there was an innocent explanation to all of this. But my head, the part of me that realized the stark contrast between Tanya's obvious beauty and my own plainness, told me to keep driving the fuck away from there. I didn't take the exit that would lead me to my house, though. I didn't want to be found there. I didn't want to be found anywhere. I headed north, not sure exactly where I would end up.

I was over an hour out of the small town when a yellow Porsche pulled onto the highway from one of the side roads and began trailing me.

_Alice? How could it be…? _

She must have known. She must have known everything, and if there was somebody I needed to trust right then, I was confident it could be her. I pulled over at the nearest rest stop and waited. Half a moment later, my two sisters were knocking on my window.

"Bella? Sweetie?" Rose asked.

I sat still for a moment, and just stared ahead. I don't know _why _they came in _that_ moment, but the salty drops were making their escape and sliding down my cheeks. I sucked in a ragged breath to speak, but never turned to look away from the nothingness in front of me.

"Can you tell me what happened, Alice? Do you know?" I knew she could hear me through the tinted glass.

A moment of silence passed before I finally gave in and turned to look at my clairvoyant sister with pleading eyes, and she cast her own downward. She must have felt that I was looking at her then.

"Come with us, Bella. We have to tell you some stuff," she whispered in reply.

My heart sank then. What would they say? That Edward couldn't help himself and gave into that skank just two days before his fucking wedding to the woman that he promised he would love exclusively forever? My shoulders were heaving forward and back as my body began to rack itself with hard sobs. I unlocked my door and Alice took my arm and helped me out. I barely had it in me to walk in this moment, and I felt so humiliated that my body was reacting so melodramatically.

"Shh, Bella, sweetie. It's fine. You don't know the half of it," Rose soothed, rubbing her fingers across my back.

Alice patted my hand and helped me into the passenger seat of the Porsche. Rose slid in the backseat and Alice started her engine.

"What is going on here?" I asked, "I found Tanya's thong in Edward's bed, and I feel like such a fool! Can anyone make this mess clear for me? I'm just not… understanding anything."

"You don't need to feel like a fool," Rose smiled warmly, "She's played that same wild card on me and my Emmy-bear." Her eyes narrowed a bit as she reflected back on the memory.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Was there hope? Was there hope that this was nothing more than a cruel hoax set up by that sly bitch?

"I don't know how or when those panties got there, Bella, but I can guarantee that Edward did _not_ have a thing to do with them," Alice chuckled. "I was hoping that Edward would have told you himself. All of this might have been avoided with some simple open lines of communication. But you know how dumb and 'protective' men are sometimes?" she shrugged, making quotations in the air over her key word.

"Protective?" I questioned.

What was Edward keeping from me and how was he _protecting_ me by not opening up and telling me everything? After all, it was just earlier today that he said we shouldn't be afraid to tell one another how we feel and what is on our minds. What would have happened that had the power to keep him from wanting to put his own advice into practice?

"Well," Rose said heatedly, "Since Edward isn't going to man up and do the job, I'll just be the one to fill you in then. God damn it. I didn't want to be the one, but Edward is such an ass sometimes… stubborn little shit. Urghh," she sighed in frustration. She reached for my shoulder and wrapped her fingers around it before she continued, "Brace yourself, though, 'cause you're not going to like it. That's a fact. Nonetheless, you deserve to hear it for yourself."

I felt my back instinctively straighten up and my breathing become shallow as I literally prepared to hear _anything_. I wiped the hot tears away and stiffened my jaw. I narrowed my eyes and looked straight ahead.

"Alice saw pieces of something she couldn't quite make out. Tell me, Bella, was this thong comprised mostly of _red lace_?"

I nodded my head and nearly growled as I did so.

"Mm-hmm. I _thought_ so. We didn't know _when_ exactly, but we did suppose she would throw herself at Edward."

"I would have stopped it if I knew exactly when and where," Alice interrupted, "But it seemed like Tanya couldn't make up her mind where to do it or what she would say. She was flighty about it, and I think that was intended on her part. She wouldn't _want_ me to figure it out, so she must have kept changing her mind again and again."

"So, she threw herself at a man who is getting married in two days?" I yelled.

Alice and Rose nodded their heads slowly.

"How could she sink so low?" I asked hotly.

"There is no point, that I'm aware of, that is too low for her consideration," Alice explained, "And when she sets her eye on a man, she is determined to have him no matter what. I can't even tell you how many marriages she has broken up, both human and non-human."

"Back before she made the lifestyle switch, she was a succubus," Rose added darkly.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"It means," Alice described, "That she use to come to the beds of mortal men while they slept, fucked them and then had them for dinner."

"Are you _serious_?" I squeaked, trying to wrap my head around such a disgusting idea.

"She always _did_ prefer the engaged ones, or the newlyweds," Rose said, sneering with repulsion.

"Look," Alice said seriously, "Here's what you need to know about Tanya Denali… She is a ruthless, unwavering bitch who will try to put an end to anything she perceives as 'in her way.' That includes _your _wedding! She has a strange lust for men who are married or about to get married, and it is a mere game to her. She doesn't give a _shit_ about love and she is the last to care for her family, too. In fact, I'm surprised they've even bothered to keep her around. She is an embarrassment to them and to our kind in general. I know that sounds harsh, and there are a lot of nasty vampires out there, Bella… but she plays 'civil,' and that makes her the most dangerous of all. You don't have to worry for your safety, because she wouldn't dare lay a hand of her own on you. But she is very talented at mind games… in fact, I'm absolutely certain it's the only skill she puts any time into. But Bella, if you let her get to you like this, then she is winning."

"I don't know how else to _be_ right now," I complained out loud.

"I get that," Rose soothed, "And don't worry. We'll take care of it. She's _not_ coming to your wedding."

I gave her a look that was made up of a million _thank you's_, and then smiled at Alice.

"I'm so grateful I have the two of you," I confessed.

"And we're so grateful that we caught you in time," Alice said with a hug.

"How did you get so far ahead of me, though?" I asked.

"Well… you were going ten over… but _we_ were going _fifty _over on the back roads."

I shook my head at the images that came flying into my mind, of them sliding off a dirt road and into a ditch. I mean, I know they would have been fine, physically speaking, but something in me still worried for their safety, regardless. "I'm glad you didn't crash your car," I smiled.

"Oh, she would have seen that coming," Rose snickered, "Roads aren't like people, Bella. They don't make up or change their minds. Alice will always be a perfect driver."

"Why, thank you very much, Rose," Alice winked. "As for _you_," she shot a finger toward me, "We're not letting you go back in there looking like _that_."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"To the salon!" she announced happily.

"But Alice, it's like, nine o'clock. This is the one time that I'm actually all for going, but there isn't even one open."

"Oh, I already called in a special favor," she smiled knowingly, "And you should see the stuff I have packed away in my trunk."

She revved her engine and pulled out of the rest stop. She sped off down the highway going probably double the speed limit. Her phone rang a few times, and she giggled at it, not answering. Finally, after the fifth time, she handed it to Rose, who slid it open to text something.

"Serves him right," Rose muttered.

Alice giggled again as she pushed her foot down firmly and accelerated even more.

"Don't hit _send_ just yet, Rosie," Alice grinned, "I think it will be safe to let him suffer awhile longer."


	8. Temper

**EPOV**

"I don't think we can mend fences with that one anymore," Jasper yelled, "I mean… holy hell, man, who the fuck does she even think she is? Can you imagine what will happen when Bella finds out?"

I had to stop my brother right there, before he got any crazy ideas. "Now hold on a moment, Jasper, I don't think it's such a good idea that…"

"That you tell Bella?" Emmett interrupted, smirking at me. He laughed then and picked up some of the smaller rocks on the ground and tossed them several hundred yards out into the ocean.

I caught up with my family for… _dinner_… after tucking Bella into the warm bed we shared. I tracked down my brothers and we went for a run. I didn't want the Denali's or the rest of my family to hear how awful Tanya was acting. I wanted to spare her family the embarrassment of hearing what an ignorant slut she had been, and I didn't want my sisters to find out because they would have completely lost it and would definitely have made a scene about it in front of everyone. The last thing I wanted to do was violate the comfort of Carmen and Eleazar.

"That's right, Emmett. There. I said it. I don't want her to find out. I don't want anyone to find out. I just want to get the ring back. Will you two help me or not?"

"Oh, Edward. You stupid pussy," Jasper grumbled, "Haven't you learned anything from the past? Anything at _all_? You stand there as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine while your world comes crashing down around you because you don't know how to do what's good for Bella."

"I don't think shoving in her face that Tanya tried to sex me up is such a _wise_ move, Jasper," I argued. After all, how could he think that Bella flipping out over this would be _good_ for her?

"It doesn't matter what's wise or stupid, you moron," he punched me in the arm, "You only get to tell what's true. If it happened, then it happened. What more can be done for it? You wanna' do right by your lady?" he asked, staring me right in the eyes.

I nodded my head. Obviously, I loved Bella and always wanted what was best for her.

"Then tell her the God-damned _truth_, son!"

Emmett laughed before adding his own two cents. "You know, Edward, if someone tried to come onto Bella, you'd want to know about it, wouldn't you? I'm not saying that you would want it to happen, but you would want to hear from her if it did, right?"

"Yes," I sighed with frustration, "But that's different."

"How's that?" Jasper asked incredulously. "I mean, if you _really_ believe that, Edward, then you deserve the trouble you're asking for."

"Look, Jasper. I don't want Bella to be hurt by any of this. I want her to be happy. Especially now. I don't want her to be stressed out right before our wedding. I want her to look back on this time and always think good things."

"And do think that if she finds out about it from Tanya instead of you that she is going to remember that with fondness?" Emmett asked sarcastically.

"Emmett's right, Edward. I think Bella will be much happier about it in the long run if you just get the fuck off your gentleman-high-horse and tell her with your own teeth what Tanya did. After all, you didn't give into her seductress-ways anyhow. That might be the part you share first… you know, the _good _news?" Jasper gave a little laugh about his small joke before turning completely serious. "After all, none of us want to see Bella hurt by this. But the fact is, she _will_ be no matter what and you shouldn't run away from the truth… just _tell_ the truth. Say it how it is… you don't have to go into detail about how she fuckin' shoved her fingers down your pants or nothin'… but it is your responsibility as a _man_ to be upfront with your wife. I didn't keep my Alice all this time by fucking pretending shit didn't happen when it did. I kept her because I let her in on _everything_. Do you get that?"

I saw where he was going with this and I knew that he was completely right about it. I didn't want Bella to find out the wrong way, and all of this was just too messed up to not be discovered at some point. Whether it was tomorrow or a hundred years from now, some offhand comment from Tanya about what she tried to do would eventually reach Bella's ears. And, Jasper pointed out the positive part of it- I _didn't _give in to Tanya's attempts. That was _good_ news… but only if Bella heard about this whole catastrophe from _me_. I wouldn't want her to think I was trying to hide anything from her later because I had been so secretive about it now.

"You're right," I muttered quietly.

"I'm sorry… _what_ was that, Edward?" Emmett asked, holding his hand to his ear and looming in toward me.

He wanted to make a big deal out of this, and I was just going to have to let him.

"I said _you're right_," I mumbled a little louder.

"Did you hear what I just heard, Jasper?" Emmett grinned.

"Gee, I _think_ so, Emmett. But I _might_ just have to hear it one more time to be sure. Edward, could you please repeat that? A little louder this time," he badgered me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Come on," Emmett laughed, "For Jasper… pwetty-pwease?" He puckered his lips and made a kissy face with googly eyes.

"Alright, you douche bag," I conceded, picking up a rock and throwing it toward Emmett's head.

He moved out of the way, and it missed him by mere centimeters.

"You guys are right. I will tell Bella what happened. And if she asked why I waited so long to tell her, I'll be truthful about that as well."

"You mean you're gonna' tell her that you're a soppy little vagina who didn't have the nuts to man up and tell her in the first place?" Jasper snickered.

I picked up another rock and aimed it at _his_ head this time. He was too quick and darted out of the way before it got anywhere near him. Just then, I heard a cracking sound against my own head.

"Emmett!" I wailed at him.

He just stood there like a dumb asshole, booming with idiotic laughter. He had thrown a rock into my head. It shattered on impact and fell to the ground in shards. Before I knew it, we were all three throwing rocks at one another, running around, hiding up in trees and behind bushes while we ambushed one another.

Just then, my cell phone rang, alerting the other two concerning where I was hiding. Rock after rock came flying and most of them hit me in the chest and abs.

"Alright, ladies," I yelled at my brothers, "Time to stop acting like a bunch of jackasses. I'm trying to answer my phone."

"Throw another one, Jasper! Aim for the nuts this time," Emmett laughed.

Now that I knew where he was hiding, I tossed one at him that got him square in between his eyes.

"Good one," he laughed, "I mean, you sure act like a puss-puss sometimes, but at least you don't throw like one. Derr-her-her," he laughed like a dumbass.

"You are such a tard sometimes, Emmett," I laughed his in his direction.

I reached for my cell phone to see that Rose was calling.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone, wondering why she was calling _me_.

"Edward? I think you should get your ass home," she said firmly.

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

"Come see for yourself. Alice and I won't be here when you get back. Neither will Bella."

"Bella? Rose, what's wrong? What's happened to Bella? Has Tanya done something?..."

My head began to spin and I started to instinctively panic.

"You could put it that way," she said.

"Where are you? Where will you be?"

"That's none of your business. Just tell Emmy 'hi' for me, okay?"

"Hi Rosie," Emmett said into the phone at my ear. He was suddenly dangling from a branch the way a third-grader does from a swing set.

"And tell Jazzy 'hi' too!" Alice chirped in the background.

"Is Bella with you now?" I asked.

"No. We're heading out to meet up with her. We'll see you later… maybe," Rose replied dryly.

"What do you mean _maybe_?" I asked, panic-stricken.

It was perfectly clear that I would see Rose again. It was perfectly clear that I would see Alice again. But what about Bella? Why would she imply that I might _not_ see her again?

"Rose?" I asked when she didn't answer. "What do you mean by that?"

"I can't say anymore. Just stay calm when you get home, if you can. Alice and I will sort through your shit for you, Edward. Just know that you're a stinky turd and you fucked up royal, buddy."

With that, she hung up.

I put the phone back in my pocket. My stomach began to ache and I couldn't quite see straight.

"Whoa, Edward," Jasper said suddenly, "What the hell happened to you? You feel sick."

"I know," I whispered. "I don't know what happened. I don't…"

I racked my brains, trying to figure out what this could all mean. Carlisle, Esme and all of the Denali's were still out in the woods hunting. Even Tanya was with them. What could have happened to Bella? Was she hurt? Was she upset? Rose said that _I _was the one who fucked up, but how? The last thing I remember with Bella was me worshipping her beautiful form and her gentle spirit the way she deserved. What could have possibly happened between then and now? What in the hell was going on?

I ran straight up to my room. I arrived home long before the others. I was, after all, the fastest runner out of all of us. I pushed my door open and looked around my room for any signs that Bella was not alright. I saw that the keys to the Aston were gone and that the comforter had been pushed to the floor. The pillows were scattered over the bed and all of her clothes were missing.

My eyes darted to a flash of red on the floor.

I picked up a lacey red thong and saw two letters embroidered in delicate cursive script on the front.

"Tanya," I hissed violently.

I threw the things across the room and fell to my knees. I tore my hands through my hair and let a full-on panic attack take over me. I wailed as I thought of what this must have looked like to Bella… I tried to see how she saw it from her mind's perspective.

I ran downstairs and to the garage to find that her car was gone. Just like all of her things and just like her. Had she really been so hell bent on running away? Didn't she want to hear what I would have had to say about it? I slapped my own face when I realized that I didn't have the right to expect that of her. After all, I had just told her that honesty was the best policy and then kept something like _this_ from her.

I marched somberly back up the stairs and stood in the center of my room, wondering where I should go from here.

I thought back to earlier this afternoon when Tanya was strutting around this very room. I had foolishly allowed myself to be gone for over half an hour. That would certainly seem like a long enough time to get some jollies behind everyone's back. And the only other person not sitting at that table while I was gone was the owner of that slutty little lace. God damn! I must have looked like such an asshole to her right now.

"Oh, I was looking for those," said the sticky-sweet voice of a devil from my doorway.

"Tanya," I growled.

My fists were tightly balled up and my eyes were two narrow slits. She wasn't shaken up in the least as I swiftly rose to my feet and marched toward her with violent rage burning through my eyes.

"Oh, darling._ Why_ can't you see how perfect _I _am for you? Hmm?"

She slid her nail under my chin and scraped it across my jaw and up to my ear. I grabbed her wrist and not only pushed her away, but I slammed her against the wall.

"Oh, you _kinky_ boy," she laughed playfully, "I always dreamed you would take me like this… fucking me hardcore against a wall… pumping your hot rage into my slick, hot…"

"Shut you're fucking face, you stupid bitch," I said, cutting her off from saying whatever the fuck she _thought_ she was going to say.

"Oh, lover, that is no way to address a lady… even if she is willing to be your naughty little plaything."

"You, Tanya, are no lady. You are Satan incarnate. There is no place for you here in my home, and I urge to leave immediately."

"And _if_ I don't?" she asked, tempting me too far.

"Then," I said, cupping my hand around her neck, squeezing firmly.

"I… can't…"

"Breathe?" I asked, finishing her sentence for her.

She narrowed her eyes and flared her nostrils. She tried to nod her head, but it was locked into place due to my tight grip. I gripped her neck even more tightly and slid her up the wall so that she was level with my own eyes. Her heels dangled in the air, clicking against the wall as she struggled. She brought her hands to her throat and tried to loosen my grip, but she wasn't strong enough.

"F…..." she whispered something that was inaudible due to her lack of air she had remaining in her lungs.

I relaxed my hand somewhat so that she could suck in enough air to repeat herself, and asked, "What did you say?"

She took in a tattered breath. "Fuck me," she said clearly.

I seized her neck tightly again, lifted her from away from the wall and slammed her back into it. The drywall beneath her caved in and a long crack moved its way up the entire length of the wall within half a second.

"I would never put myself in you, you filthy cunt," I sneered. "But I'll tell you what I _will_ do. Take the ring. Keep it. I don't give a _fuck_ where you put it. I would never dirty my beautiful Bella's hand with something that you touched."

I released her from the wall and she fell onto her ass. Her eyes were wide and she was staring up at me with a shocked expression. She got up slowly and looked downward. I was not the tiniest bit ashamed for losing my temper with her at last. A man can only take so much before his will to be civil is broken entirely.

"Edward," she said timidly, but I raised my open hand, indicating that I was not going to hear anymore of her God damned bullshit. "I…"

"I'm not having it, Tanya. I will talk to Carlisle and see what he wants done about this situation. If you are invited to stay in this house, I will take Bella and we will board somewhere else until you leave. But one thing is for sure: you are _not_ to come to the wedding. You are not welcome there."

She frowned and furrowed her brow. I walked over to her thong on the ground and picked it up. I pushed it in her face until she reached up to grasp it, relieving me of the burden of having to touch it.

"Fine," she said bitterly, storming out of my room.

I slammed the door behind her.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tried to call Alice. I tried over and over again, and I knew she would be expecting my call. I knew her phone was on, because it played the entire twenty seconds of Metro Station's "_Shake It"_ before heading to voicemail each time. I wasn't going to let up. I kept calling, feeling in my heart that she was with Bella. I knew she and Rose would be comforting her as soon as they found her. I felt sick again as I thought of what Bella must be feeling by everything that had happened... by everything she _thought_ might have happened. I just hoped to God that she would still want to marry me.

Just then, the doorbell rang, sending chimes throughout the house.

I knew that none of the others were back yet, other than Tanya, and who the fuck cared what she was up to at this point? I ran down the stairs, taking three at a time to answer the door.

"Edward!" boomed a tall, large man's voice from the doorway.

"Adalfieri," I said with a smile, "I am glad you are here."

"Yes," he said, entering the door after I had lifted my arm to greet and invite in my father's old friend.

"I see you have brought your family," I said graciously. I was excited to see everyone again and to have them meet my family for the first time.

"Indeed, I have. I and my princes have journeyed to your lovely home for this most joyous of occasions."

"Well, please, come in everyone and have a seat in the living room. My family will return from their hunt shortly. I am eager to introduce you to them."

"Yes, and we are eager to meet them," Adal said cheerfully with a large, sincere smile, "As well as your beautiful bride."

…

A/N: By the way, a special shout out to oliphantelephant, who guessed before it was posted that Edward wouldn't even want the ring back anymore... good job! :)


	9. Tanya's Dangerous Scheme

**Irena's POV**

"What is the matter, sister?" I asked.

Tanya had called me away from the others to secretly meet her out in the woods. She was always plotting _something_, but her schemes usually didn't require my assistance.

"I…" she started to speak, but she was too angry to say anything at the moment.

I recognized the dangerous spark in her eye. The last time she looked like this, she had been crossed. Everyone who knew my sister knew better than to cross her, and I admit that curiosity got the best of me in that moment. I wondered what could have happened between the hunt and this very moment.

Finally, she seemed to have composed herself well enough to reveal to me what had gone wrong this evening.

"He choked you?" I gasped after she had told me her sad tale. "Are you _serious_? Tanya, we _have _to report this! We have to tell Carmen and Eleazar! Does anyone else know what he has done?"

She shook her head and looked down at her feet. No wonder she had been so angry! How could Edward have it in him to do all those things to her? To trap her upstairs in his bedroom just two days before he married someone else, only to confess his love for her at last and then to demand that they have an affair in secret! Holy God in Heaven, the nerve of some men! But Edward though… he just didn't seem the type to sink that low and be that perverted.

"Oh, Tanya," I whispered as I drew my sister into a hug. "I am so sorry to hear that this has happened to you."

"I don't want to tell the others," she said meekly, "I don't want to give Edward a bad name. I don't know what came over him, but I want to give him the benefit of the doubt."

I shook my head.

"No, Tanya. We _have_ to tell the others. They _have _to know about all of this."

"It's not in Edward's nature to be so aggressive, Irena. But I think I know what's come over him."

"What?" I asked, curious and interested.

"I think it has something to do with the wolves."

"The Quileutes?" I asked, stunned, "How could they have anything to do with the sexual harassment Edward forced on you? My God, Tanya! He all but raped you! And who knows but that he might try that too? Don't put the blame on others, even if we don't understand them. Put the blame where it belongs… directly on Edward Cullen's filthy backside."

"But Irena," she countered, "I know Edward. He wasn't himself. His eyes… they weren't his. Those actions and those words… they were something else. Everyone who lived through the werewolf raids over a century ago knows of the filthy creature's reputations for violence. He must be plagued by them somehow. After all, he is fucking one."

I tensed at hearing the word. It wasn't in my nature to cuss or listen to it, but I let it pass because she was my sister, and because she had just been so devastatingly traumatized.

"Bella?" I asked.

"Yes. She is part werewolf, you know. Didn't you hear Carmen going on and on and on about it? I swear, sometimes I think she is more fond of that bitch that she has hardly met than she is of _me_."

"Oh, Tanya," I said, taking my sister's hand in mine, trying to soothe her, "You know that's not true. Carmen is just so interested in her because she is so different. She has a fascinating history and as far as we know of, no one has ever been mixed with the blood of a werewolf and bitten too."

"That's exactly it, though! Don't you see it? Don't you see the threat? After all, our own mother was put to death for less."

I cringed again at having the horrible memory of our mother come up. She was destroyed by the Volturi because in her desperate need to nurture a child, she turned a young human into a vampire. The child could never progress beyond the mental or emotional range it had already acquired before it was changed, and therefore, one small temper tantrum often ended in hundreds of dead human corpses. Needless to say, it attracted a lot of attention… a thing that the Volturi looked down upon.

"Irena," she said softly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder, "Don't you remember why the Volturi spared us? It was because we were blind to what our mother was doing. Yet, under our very noses, in this very hour, there is a pack of wolves. If the Volturi ever discovered them and knew that _we_ know of them, we might not be so lucky as to be spared again. It was the Volturi's intention to exterminate _all_ of the werewolves, remember? Why should these few be spared when thousands of others were not?"

Her reason was sound, but thinking of turning in the loyal friends of the Cullen's made my heart sink.

"I don't think Bella should be punished for what she can't help but be. After all, she is just as much one of _us_ as she is one of _them_. And there is a peace treaty between the pack and Carlisle's clan. I don't think…"

She cut me off before I could even collect my thoughts enough to continue.

"Irena… regardless of their treaty, do you not suppose they have it in them to be as violent as the old wolves were? After all, how many creatures out there can kill a vampire, other than our own kind?"

"Only one that we know of," I answered, "The wolves."

"That's right. It is in their very nature to kill us. When something goes wrong, and eventually, it will… when that day comes, wouldn't you just ache inside knowing that our friends had been hurt because we were not willing to speak up for them? Isn't it better to at least make the Volturi aware of our knowledge about the Quileute tribe… _and_ Bella Swan… before they have the opportunity to hurt our dear friends?"

"Oh, yes," I agreed, "My heart would endlessly ache if something were to happen."

"You mean, when something _does_ happen. It's only a matter of time, Irena… only a matter of time."

"It just seemed, when I first heard about the treaty," I said, "That things would be fine. After all, the Cullens and the Quileutes work so well together. You have to at least give them _that_."

She nodded her head and gave me a tender smile.

"I do," she insisted, "But that's another thing I think the Volturi should be made aware of, don't you think so?"

"What?" I asked. "What else should they be made aware of?"

"They should be informed about how well the two work together. I'm not saying that this is Carlisle's intention, but… _what if_ one day they wanted to overthrow the Volturi? They are powerful and talented as it is… but imagine… Bella can have children. That means they can multiply in numbers. And those children will have some of us in them… _sure_… But! They will also have some of _them_ in them, and that will make them dangerous to us all."

"They will be raised by vampires. Surely they wouldn't want to hurt us…"

"How many animals are cared for their entire lives, and yet, they bite their master's hand? Children are the same way. I don't know how _some people_ manage it, but they take for granted their families sometimes… a thing that _I_ would never do. But it happens, Irena, and it will be in the nature of the filthy half-breeds that Bella produces to rip vampires up, just like it is in a wolf's true nature to do."

I became frightened then. Her words and ideas were overtaking me, motivating me to want to stand up and shout for help against this inevitable end.

"Plus," she added, "The Quileutes _now_ are good to the Cullens, but they will die off in time. A new generation will rise up, and they may not be so kind. They may not be so keen to stick to their end of any treaty. Eventually, they are a danger."

"You are right," I said, "We must report them."

"I'm glad you agree with me then. But, don't tell the others about this just yet. We will wait until after the wedding. After all, we may not be doing anything wrong by bringing all of this to Aro's attention, but our family and friends may not see the dangers. After all, if they really knew how terrible this situation was, Carmen wouldn't be so interested in Bella and the Cullens wouldn't have made that treaty in the first place, right?"

"Right," I whispered.

We were going to do them all a favor by alerting the Volturi. It was the _right_ thing to do.

…

A/N: Uh-oh! Sounds like there will be trouble ahead! This will surely come back to haunt everyone…

So, a brief recap just so that we all realize what just happened:

Tanya has made up a false sob-story to get the sentiments of her sister, Irena, on her own side. Irena believes the lie.

Tanya has convinced her sister that the Volturi should be made aware of the presence of werewolves, the Cullen's treaty with the werewolves, and the fact that Bella herself has been mixed with the werewolves. This could be a dangerous thing…

Thank you for reading!

Until next time,

-Stephanie


	10. Twelve Princes and a Pair of Wild Cards

**EPOV**

At last, my family and the Denali's had arrived back from their hunting escapades. Carlisle and Esme were the first to enter, followed by Carmen, Eleazar, Emmett, Jasper, Kate and Garrett. Tanya trailed in after the others. I looked around to try and see if Irena was anywhere to be found, but didn't see her among us.

"Carlisle," I said, standing up from the couch, "It is my honor to introduce you to my good associate and friend, Adalfieri. He is the leader of the Twelve Princes; my father's associates from Chicago."

Carlisle came forward with Esme by his side and shook Adal's hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet the leader of Edward's fine coven," Adal said strongly, "I have heard so many wonderful things about his family. I am so happy to finally be able to put faces too all of the names. Please, allow me to introduce you to my lovely wife, Samantha."

She stood tall and slender next to her husband, the light of the room magnifying the many shades of her shoulder-length ginger hair. She smiled and swept her side bangs out of her eyes with her long, delicate fingers. Her red eyes were a piercing feature against the contrast of her lovely ivory skin, which was naturally pale even against the peachy satin wrap-around dress that so elegantly adorned her petite form.

"I am so happy to be here," she smiled, "You have a lovely home, Esme." She gave Esme a glance and looked away demurely.

Esme smiled at her in return and graciously accepted the compliment with happy eyes.

"This is my dear brother, and right-hand-man, Vicenzo," Adal continued, gesturing to a slender, younger-looking man to his right, who was indeed his literal flesh and blood brother (well, at one time, _blood_, but the same principle still applied even after the immortal change they had both undergone). "And this is his companion, Natalie."

Natalie lifted her hand and waved, smiling. Her energetic personality matched her short, spiky purple hair which was as bright as her deep, crimson eyes. I saw Esme staring at the tattoo on her right shoulder- a Celtic cross with a large green shamrock wrapped around the cross and three individual stars linked at the bottom of the cross.

"Hey," she said casually, "Congratulations Edward, on the marriage and all. And it's nice to meet you guys too." She took time to look each of my family members and other guests in the eyes. She was not shy, and could never be mistaken as such.

These two women, referred to in their group as the Wild Cards, were so similar to one another, and yet so different at the same time… 'Hot and Cool.' They were the perfect compliments to their mates as well as to one another. Their individual powers alone were something to be envied, but when they stood side-by-side, it could be argued that they were the most powerful force among our kind. Samantha was able to detect any falsehood in one's statements or mannerisms. Natalie was able to conquer people with her voice. If she could maintain eye contact with someone, she could ask them a question and the one being asked would lose all desire to lie to her. This pair really came in handy to the men, not just because they were splendid matches for each of them in every way, respectively, but also, they were incredible assets to _the business._ In a mafia-ish world such as the one the Twelve Princes worked in, it was handy to have _Honesty_ on their side. No _Lady Luck_ was required of them so long as they could keep their fairer counterparts happy. Indeed, it is often joked about among those that know these couples that the Wild Cards _are _'The Business' who send the men out to do their bidding.

"And these are my ten associates," Adal said grinning.

Each of them stood and nodded toward everyone as their names were called.

"Alessio, Brizio, Fedele, Damiano, Ezzelin, Terenzio, Ambrogio, Casimiro, Eligius, and Sansone."

"We are so happy to have all of you in our home," Carlisle smiled.

The groups dispersed and mixed into one another's conversations. Adal and Vico were telling Carlisle and Eleazar of how they were changed. Vico had 'disappeared' from his family home one day. His entire family assumed that he had been kidnapped and murdered because of the nature of their family business. He appeared to be only nineteen even now, as when he had assumed to be taken. Adal was actually Vico's _younger_ brother in mortality; younger by a whole six years. Vico wasn't kidnapped, but changed into a vampire by Natalie. She met him and fell in love with his strong character and charm. They have been deeply in love with one another ever since.

Ten years after his '_disappearance,'_ Vico longed to go home to see his family. He knew he would only ever be able to watch them from a distance, and accepted that. Natalie and her friend, Samantha, accompanied him on his trip. At seeing Vico's little brother, who by that time had become a strong, strapping man of twenty-three, Samantha knew it was love at first sight. She decided to take him as her own, and like the first pair, they have been eternal mates from that day forward.

A second disappearance of kin was a tragedy to the brothers' family, but a rich addition to Vico and the small gang of ten he changed based on their exceptional _talents_. Adalfieri was elected the leader, nominated by his own brother, and has retained that role ever since.

The group still kept their residence in Chicago, where they have owned a series of _family businesses_ over the many generations. In fact, Vico, to this very day, is convinced that _he_ developed the original Chicago-style deep dish pizza. I asked Natalie whether or not that was true once. She informed me that she had questioned him on it, and her only answer ever was, _"Hey, _he_ believes it. As far as I know, he is telling the truth."_

It was past midnight when Samantha and Natalie approached me.

"Edward," Samantha said, "We have brought a gift. But it is not for you only. It is for the woman who is to become your wife as well. Speaking of such, _where_ is your lovely bride-to-be?"

"I, uh…" I ran my fingers through my hair, not sure what to say.

It was then that the entire room turned toward the front door. My jaw dropped when I saw Bella walking through the threshold, smiling confidently and striding over to my side. I had never seen her this way before. She was followed by Alice and Rose, who stood behind her proudly, smiling triumphantly.

"Hello, everyone," Bella confidently chimed over the crowd, hushing the final debris of muffled conversations, "I'm so sorry I'm late."

...

A/N: A special thanks to mafiabitches, aka Samantha and Natalie. Their physical descriptions in this story are true to real life. Yes, even that tattoo is real! Their personalities fit these two characters perfectly and I just _had_ to 'collect' them, lol! Thank you ladies, so much, for participating.

As for the Twelve Princes, they are not based on anyone in the real world or the world of established fiction. I picked their names based on what they mean. A list is provided below. I know that these men are not included in the canon version of the _Twilight_ series. Nonetheless, I like to add my own characters to the stories sometimes to bring the plot to pass, but also to keep things fresh and fun.

...

THE TWELVE PRINCES

Adalfieri (Adal) = "noble oath" [There is a reason he is the leader, and it is because of his name… it will come to be fully explained later]

Vicenzo (Vico) = "conqueror"

Alessio = "defender"

Ambrogio = "immortal"

Brizio = "craftsman"

Casimiro = "commands peace"

Damiano = "to tame or subdue" but euphemistically, his name means "to kill"

Eligius = "to choose"

Ezzelin = "noble one"

Fedele = "faithful"

Sansone = "like the sun"

Terenzio = "twist"

...

Thank you all for reading!

Until next time,

Stephanie


	11. Bella Dazzles

**RPOV**

Oh, _fuck_ yes!

Bella was definitely about to make her big comeback. She looked like a trillion bucks and I knew she was going to make every head in that room turn. Edward was having his _acquaintances_ over to stay with us for the wedding. The ones who stole money and bootlegged shit for a living. Hell, if Edward screwed up badly enough, maybe one of his friends would snag her away along with half the silver. Could anyone blame someone for trying? Bella was smokin' hot tonight!

"Okay, now repeat after me, Bella, sweetie," Alice coached, "I am going to fucking run circles around Tanya Denali. Okay, you're turn."

"I'm going to fucking run circles around Tanya Denali," Bella parroted.

"Okay… _good_, but now with more _feeling_!" Alice encouraged.

"I'm going to fucking _run_ circles around _Tanya Denali_," Bella growled like a sassy lioness.

"That's the spirit!" I hollered.

We drove up the long drive to our house and Bella was the first one to hop out.

"Ready?" I asked.

She just smiled at me and nodded her head.

"I'm going to fucking run circles around Tanya Denali," she whispered fiercely.

Hell yeah, she was!

We stalked up the steps to the house and Bella wasted no time swinging the front door open. Alice and I followed her in and snickered together at how she was all sass and suave. As I had predicted, every head in the room turned toward her. Their eyes were sealed to her mere presence.

"Hello everyone," Bella smiled confidently at all the gawking heads, "I'm so sorry I'm late."

She led her own way through the crowd, which parted for her like the fuckin' Red Sea.

"Edward!" she chimed happily, "I've missed you so much." She popped up on her tippy toes, which barely allowed her to rise even half an inch because she was already maxed out in five inch heels, and planted a sweet little kiss on his awestruck cheek.

She took her thumb and rubbed her lip gloss into his cheek, as if wiping it off.

"Woopsie," she sighed daintily. "So, are you going to introduce me to your very good friends?" she asked him.

"Uhh…" he blundered, not able to move his eyes from her."Yes. Bella. These are the Twelve Princes and the Wild Cards."

Bella turned to greet each of them. She gave the women a hug, and they introduced themselves as Natalie and Samantha.

"Natalie, Samantha," Bella said joyously, "It is _such_ a pleasure to meet you two! Please allow me to introduce you to my two lovely sisters: Rose and Alice."

Alice and I made our rounds as well, getting to know each of the Prince's and a little bit about their personal histories. I always saw Bella out of the corner of my eye… I think everyone did. She was completely dolled up and looked like a goddess! Edward placed his hand on the small of her back and followed her around wherever she went like a sick puppy. He had it bad for her as it was, but he might need to have someone follow him around to hold his mouth shut for him as he ogled Bella.

Natalie and Samantha approached Alice and me, and Esme came to join us. They were talking about how excited they were to finally see Edward settle down, and Esme agreed completely.

"I'm so thrilled that they will finally be tying the knot," Esme chirped happily.

"And the wedding is a _secret_," Natalie smiled.

"I think it is so romantic," Alice laughed.

"Just like Romeo and Juliet," Samantha sighed gleefully.

"I wonder if it will end as badly for these two lovebirds as it did for the star-crossed pair," came the sweet hiss of an unwanted voice.

Tanya was coming up behind us, joining in as if she were welcome or some shit. I glared at her and she donned a pair of innocent eyes. She batted her lashes at me like the fucking cunt she was and acted like she had no idea why I was giving her dirty looks.

"What?" she asked as if she were some kind of goody two shoes, "I'm just saying… isn't it a bit odd that Bella isn't willing to own up to being Edward's wife? Why all the secrecy? Her father and mother have no idea… not to mention all of the students at her school. I just think it's a shame that she feels embarrassed to marry him. I mean, _most_ girls would want to sing to the world that they are on his arm… but why not Bella?"

"Your shit isn't going to fly here," I muttered in her direction.

"My _shit_?" she asked incredulously, and then huffed out a dry laugh. "Oh, that's just rich, Rose!

"Is it?" Alice asked.

Esme's eyes went wide and her smile fell to an open mouth. She was staring at the scene helplessly, and although I didn't want to start crap here and now, it was about time that people got it into their heads what a fucking _snake_ Tanya is.

"Who do you think you are, Tanya?" Alice verbally pushed to break her like a board. "You come in here and leave your lacey doilies all over Edward's room so Bella can find them and take it all the wrong way and you still have the audacity to be standing in our home, rubbing elbows with Edward's friends? And to top it all off, you plant false ideas about Bella into our guests' heads! Bella is _not_ embarrassed of Edward or of marrying him."

"She's lying," Samantha said suddenly.

Everything stopped and we all stared at her, wondering what she was implying.

"It's Tanya," Samantha expounded, "She is holding something back. But _what_ could it be?" She turned to look at Natalie, who was arching one brow in suspicion at Tanya.

"No, she's right! Tanya is holding something back. What _is _it, Tanya? _What_ are you hiding from your family?" Natalie asked firmly.

Tanya's eyes were connected to Natalie's and she looked dazed as if she were in a trance.

"Irena," Tanya sighed as if in a state of deep sleep, "She is…"

"She is?..." Natalie prompted and she opened her eyes wider, and looked as if she were concentrating very hard on something in Tanya's eyes.

"She is… on her way… to…"

"To?... Go on, Tanya. Tell us where this Irena you speak of is headed."

Just then, Tanya shook her head and broke eye contact with Natalie.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" she asked hotly. "What did you _do_ to me?"

"I simply asked you a question," Natalie said sweetly. "You were saying? Irena?..."

"No! That's not _all_ you did! There was… something _else_ too… I can't explain it, but you _did_ something to me," Tanya shouted.

"My dear," Samantha interrupted, "You don't know what you're saying! How is it that you are accusing Natalie of _doing_ something to you? We were all here, right ladies? Did anyone of you see Natalie _do_ anything to Tanya?"

We all shook our heads.

"There you have it, Tanya. That settles it. Nothing was done to you," Samantha announced.

"No!" Tanya pushed the matter. "You are trying to make me out to look crazy! But I'm _not_ crazy," she hissed.

Tanya lifted her hand and swung it across the air, smacking Natalie in the cheek.

"Oh," Esme cried out, "Stop! Tanya, stop!"

It was half a second before Garrett and Jasper had Tanya's back pinned to the ground, each holding an arm down on the floor over her head. She was kicking her legs wildly, trying to get loose. They tightened their grips and she screamed out in frustration at having lost the choice to stand up with the rest of the more mature people in the room. But hey, you act like a fucking wildcat with rabies, you get treated like one too!

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Garrett asked Tanya heatedly. "Jesus Christ, woman! Is there no place we can take you that you won't humiliate the lot of us? My holy God!"

"She did something to me, Garrett," Tanya still insisted, "To my _mind_."

"The only thing that's wrong with your mind is what was _always_ wrong with it," Edward snarled at her. "I was hoping to bring this matter up in a more delicate way, Eleazar. It was never my intention to let things get so over the top as they have, but all that Alice has said about Tanya and her... undergarments… is true."

Carmen's expression sunk and it was apparent that Tanya had shamed her mother deeply with her foolish actions.

"Oh, Tanya," Eleazar said sadly, coming forward to stand over the girl he had taken in as his own child. "Please, Tanya, please… tell me this is not so."

"They're lying!" she hissed.

He lowered his head and he looked so desperately sad. He was wise enough to know the truth from a lie when it was as apparent as this.

"I'm so sorry, Edward, for the trouble my family has caused you at this most joyous of occasions," he said.

"It's not your entire family," Edward amended, placing his hand on Eleazar's shoulder. "It is only _one _member of your family. I've already spoken with Tanya about it, and I've let her know that if she stays here, for I would never want to assume leadership over your family and ask her to leave, but if she stays, Bella and I will make accommodations elsewhere…"

"Oh, no! Of _course_ we will leave," Eleazar interrupted, "That much is obvious. Please forgive us."

"There is nothing to forgive," Bella said, walking over, smiling at Eleazar and Carmen. "You are guests in this home, and our hearts are so full of love for you. Please, don't misunderstand us. We would never wish for _you_ and the other members of your family, aside from Tanya, to not be at the ceremony that will unite Edward and me for all time. Please, won't you consider still attending? Oh, I can't tell you how much it would mean to us if you would."

A flash of surprise came upon Carmen and Eleazar's faces.

"You would still have us here, in your home, and at your wedding?" Carmen asked hopefully.

"Of _course_," Bella smiled at her.

"They don't want to go to your shitty wedding," Tanya spat at Bella.

"Please take Tanya away from here," Carmen asked Garrett. She placed her fingers on her temples and looked like she was about to lose it from embarrassment.

"Gladly," he replied.

"What?" Tanya huffed, "You're going to choose _them_ over _me_? Whose fucking side are you fucking on?"

"We came here to spend time with much-loved friends and celebrate in their joy," Eleazar replied calmly, "And that is _exactly_ what we are going to do."

"Without _me_, though?" she screeched.

"If you have screwed your welcome in this house over, Tanya, that is your own damn problem," Garrett said.

He and Jasper seized Tanya by her hands and pushed them up her back the way an officer does when making an arrest.

"You will pay for this, you ugly bitch! You can get all dressed up, but you are _nothing _compared to me, and you never will be! You're just a fucking monkey in a suit!" Tanya gnashed at Bella as she was being escorted out of the home.

"I'm so embarrassed," Carmen said shyly.

"Don't be," Bella soothed her instantly. "I am just so happy that you're staying for the wedding, Carmen. The presence of you and your family means so much to all of us, doesn't it Edward?"

Edward wrapped his arm around Bella and nodded his head in agreement.

I looked at Bella then and saw something that I had never seen so clearly before. She was kind, and that was already a well-known fact. But behind the makeup, the dress, the shoes, the manicure, the hair… behind it all was a beautiful woman who could dazzle anyone. She wouldn't have needed any of this to turn heads tonight. She was pure and beautiful, kind and merciful, lovely and something to be celebrated… just as she was. She was a hundred times the lady that Tanya pretended to be. She really was the most beautiful among us. I smiled at the girl that I was so proud to call my sister.


	12. Crawl

A/N: Thank you all for your awesome reviews! I love them! Just a little note, by the way… this chapter gets a little kinky at the end. You know, because Edward still has to make it all up to Bella and so forth. Anyway, I don't know what came over my fingers while they were typing… but the f-word comes out a few times (*blush*). Just a heads up…

…

**BPOV**

"Well, don't you look fancy?" Charlie asked me as I walked through the front door of home-sweet-home.

_Hell yeah, I do._

"I _guess_ so," I said, shrugging my shoulders and tossing my purse next to the stairs.

I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. It was almost three in the morning and Charlie was getting ready for an early shift.

"So, what have you been up to this weekend that makes you look like _that_?" he laughed while sliding his badge on.

_I'm getting married tomorrow, and tonight was a sort of wedding party. Not that I'm going to tell you any of this because I'm a coward and an idiot. Someday, I guess I'll just tell you I eloped. Meanwhile, my husband and I will have been shagging in the room next to yours, at least until after I graduate high school. God! I'm such a perv to even say that in my head… but it's true, and that's probably the worst part of all. Did I mention I'm an immature moron, dad?_

"Our trip, remember? Alice got me all dolled up for the occasion."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. You'll be gone this week, huh? Sorry, I forgot. Things have been so busy at work and all. Well, have fun Bells."

I had lied to my dad about a month ago. The truth was that I would be enjoying a honeymoon on some remote island where it's always sunny, year-round. However, Charlie thought I would be away on a senior trip with Alice and Rose. The part that made me feel bad was that I didn't feel bad at all for lying to him. I laughed inwardly at how ironic it was that I felt bad for not feeling bad. I guess that meant that vicariously I _did_ feel the guilt. But it wasn't enough to make me come clean then and there.

"I will," I smiled. _At least that part was true._

"When do you leave?" he asked, lacing up his shoes.

"Tomorrow afternoon," _right after I get married to Edward._

"I'll miss you kiddo. Stay safe, okay?"

He stood up and slid his jacket on. I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he headed out.

I went upstairs and sat down on my bed. I slid out of the dress and into some sweats. I unpinned my hair and let the loose tendrils fall around my face. I ran my fingers through it and stared at the ceiling.

"Star gazing?" said the voice belonging to the vampire who was climbing into my bedroom through the window.

I rolled onto my side and propped my head up on my hand. I watched him stalk closer. He was smiling wide, but seemed to be testing the waters with me somewhat.

"You're not… by any chance…"

"Upset?" I asked, finishing his sentence for him.

I picked up the pillow directly behind me and launched it at his head. Shortly after Tanya _left_ (not willingly, of course), I was in a hurry to get home. I kind of snuck away without telling Edward goodbye. I hugged all the girls goodnight and Alice and Rose walked me out to my car. They congratulated me for showing Tanya up the way I had. I had let them know that I was only too happy to do the job. As for Edward, I knew he'd meet me here tonight. He had been a little less than honest with me about everything with Tanya, and the truth of the matter was that I was hurt and embarrassed by what the trashy home wrecker had done. I was disappointed that I didn't hear anything from Edward about what had happened _before_ I found her lacey undies on his bed. After his big, long talk about how we ought to be open with one another, I thought that meant that we should _both _be open no matter what. I felt a little foolish at having assumed that, since apparently Edward thought he was above his own advice.

After I finally rubbed everything in Tanya's face, though, I felt a little better. However… I was still going to make Edward _crawl_ a little. I didn't want to give into his charmish ways too quickly. I wanted to give him at least a little bit of a hard time for not being completely forthright with me in the first place.

"Yeah… that's the word. I can see that you still are… a little?" he asked timidly, obviously not sure if he should be smiling or looking worried. Somehow, though, he was managing to do both.

I nodded my head at him, narrowing my eyes a bit. I was actually kind of enjoying seeing him squirm.

"That's right," I said sternly, not letting on that I was having fun with this. "You didn't tell me something earlier. Maybe you would like to take this opportunity to tell me now?"

"Okay," he sighed, sitting next to me on the bed. "Well… When you were first introduced to the Denali's, I ran upstairs to get you something."

"What was it?" I interrupted.

He paused for a second, and looked at me as if wondering if he should keep something from me or not.

"Just tell me what it was," I rolled my eyes.

"It was a wedding ring," he confessed.

"A wedding ring?"

"Yeah. I got you a new one. A smaller one. I know that's what you wanted."

"Oh, Edward. You didn't have to do that," I said warmly.

I was surprised to hear that. I knew that we had _kind of _talked about a different ring, but I never thought he would actually go for the idea. It was never something I outright told him that I wanted. The ring he had given me when proposing had been in his family for three generations. I knew it meant so much to him. I remember just saying in passing that I had wished it were a bit smaller so that I wouldn't feel like such a target for people's stares when in public. I had no idea that he was actually going to make a switch.

"Go on with the rest though," I urged, turning slightly chilly to him again.

"Well… I had it on my desk, but when I went to get it, it was gone. Turns out, Tanya stole it."

"She _what_?"

"Stole it."

I felt heat billow through my body and into the very top of my head. The thought of her stealing away my ring just added to the fire over the fact that she tried to steal away my husband as well! What a snarly bitch!

"Then what?" I asked, urging him to press on.

"She tried to bed me."

"Bed you?"

He gave me this weird apologetic look and I broke out in sudden laughter.

"Bed you?" I asked again, smiling and laughing.

He looked around as if trying to find the joke he were missing out on. It only made me laugh harder.

"Oh, Edward! Even now, when I know what she did, you still have to play _gentleman_, don't you? Bed you? No, Edward. Not 'bed.' _Fuck_. That is what she tried to do to you. You are just too sweet to say the word, aren't you?"

He bit his lip and lowered his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little, trying to laugh.

"I love you," he said finally, "And I'm so sorry I didn't tell you this back when it happened. I just wanted to spare you from it. I didn't want it to stress you out. I didn't want your fears about her to… I don't know… to take over you or anything. A lot of girls are intimidated by Tanya. She can smell their fear and she plays on it. She is so sick and twisted… I can't even describe it, Bella. I didn't want you to be an easy target for her. If your insecurities came out, she would destroy you with them. That's what she's good at. That's _all_ she's good at, actually. But still, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry you found out the way you did."

"You know what?" I asked, "I'm actually kind of fine with how I found out. I decided something when Alice was getting me made over."

"What's that?" he asked.

"I decided that I _know _that you love me. I would have to be stupid not to know that. It's so obvious. Especially tonight. I saw your jaw drop, and honestly, I liked it."

"My jaw drops every time I see you, I think. Maybe it just happens so fast you never see it? But that feeling I get when my brain goes a little numb and my emotions swell inside of me… every single time I see you..."

He turned around and caught me, swinging me into his arms to plant kisses on my neck.

"What can I do to make this up to you?" he asked between kisses.

I paused a moment to think it over. There wasn't going to be very many opportunities for this. Edward was pretty much the perfect guy. I knew he would never cheat on me and I knew that he would always love me and be truly devoted to me… all in all, an ideal man. So, this literally might be the only chance that would ever have come along…

"Crawl," I whispered into his ear.

"What?" he asked, maybe not sure if he heard what he thought he did.

But he _did_ hear correctly.

"Crawl," I said again.

I caught him smiling a little before he turned around, stood before the bed, dropped to his knees and lifted his crossed hands in the air. I got the sense that we were both enjoying this little game.

"Please," he begged me, "Forgive me Bella. You already know that I am yours completely. How will you let me _show_ you?"

I caught him smiling a little again as he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

"Why don't you tell me what you _want_ to do to me, Edward?"

He smiled again, this time making no effort to hide it.

"Oh," he whispered, "You _know_ already what I want to do to you, Bella Swan."

"Do I?"

"Mmm-hmm," he said, parting his mouth a little in lust.

_I_ smiled at _him_ now. I sat up, parting my legs a little.

"I don't think I do…" I played. "I think you'll have to show me…"

He crawled deliciously to the edge of the bed and pulled himself up. He towered over me before leaning onto me, straddling me. He pushed one knee forward, rubbing in between my legs. He pulled my sweatpants and t-shirt off, and then removed his own shirt.

"Show me more," I said firmly into his shoulder as he laid into me.

He nipped along my neck and moved along my shoulder, down and down and down until he came to my navel. He licked his way down to my hip and pinched it between his teeth. I moaned lightly as he worked his way back up to the other side of my neck.

"_Tell_ me what you want," I whispered in his ear. "Say what you're going to do to me. And don't be shy about it."

"I'm going to _fuck_ you," he moaned without a single ounce of shame whatsoever.

"Say it again," I cried out. Hearing him say the word without reserve like that turned me on in ways that they just don't make words for.

"I'm going to _fuck_ you," he said firmly into my neck.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders while he pushed his hand between us and unbuttoned his pants. He unzipped them, then slid them down his legs and kicked them off. I sucked in ragged breath as he slid into me forcefully, sparing no time to be 'nice' about it. He immediately started thrusting and I gripped his messy mane tightly in between my fingers, pulling his hair near the roots while he took me from myself that way.

"Oh my God," I whimpered into his neck as he continued to pump harder and harder.

"You like it, don't you?" I heard the smile in his voice as he pushed the words out with force.

"I… like… it…"

"_What_ do you like?" he teased. "_Say _it, Bella. Tell me what I'm doing to you."

"Fuck," I hissed into his shoulder before digging into it with my teeth.

He moaned with pleasure at the sudden abrasive action, and he began to thrust more violently.

"Say it like a big girl, Bella. Say it in a sentence."

"Fucking me," I moaned.

"The whole sentence, baby. Say it all."

"You're fucking me," I whispered.

"Louder, Bella," he yelled while jerking hard all of a sudden inside of me.

"You're fucking me!" I cried.

There was something about the rough way he was having me that pushed energy through my body and to my core. It was building and building and I was about to cry out. He was making me _say_ it to him, and I loved it. _Shy gentleman Edward_ had disappeared, and the aggressive _fuck-me_ Edward was only too overjoyed to take his place.

"Tell me what you _feel_ when you fuck me," I urged him.

"I feel… your warmth… and how tight you get when it hurts a little," he moaned.

"You like that?" I asked.

"I do," he admitted.

"Then do it _harder_," I said, sinking my nails into his shoulders and scraping them down his back.

He did and I felt my walls clench in tighter. My legs, out of instinct, wrapped tightly around his waist. I threw my head back and my back arched slightly. Everything was beginning to build inside of me and become way too much to handle. I was bracing myself for when my body would finally release all of the tension it had so steadily stored away as Edward was _fucking_ me.

"Ohh," I moaned into his ear, knowing he would respond just the way that he did.

He pushed and pulled against me, all the way in and almost all the way out, over and over and over, harder and harder. He dug his teeth into my shoulder and sucked against my flesh. He moved his lips lower and grazed the tops of my breasts.

"Oh, fuck," he hissed.

That threw me over the edge at last. My body and my mind couldn't handle another second of being pumped so hard, and it finally released the tension. The powerful bursts of energy shot through my back and up to my head while down to my toes at the same time. It was forceful and dynamic. He continued to push in deeper with each thrust.

I finally cried out, which pushed him over the edge as well. I felt him inside of me, my walls grasping tightly around him, draining him. He collapsed over me, kissing me from shoulder to shoulder, as if still hungry for what little my body had left to offer him.

"I could consume you over and over," he sighed into my breasts. "I never want our nights together to end." He wrapped me up in his arms and laid me next to him, drawing the covers over us. "I love you so much, Bella," he sighed happily into my neck.

"I love you too," I promised him.

"I still can't believe that I am going to get to be the one who gets to keep you forever," he whispered.

"And I get to keep you forever."

"There is no place I would rather be, than by your side, love."


	13. Vows

_Announcement:_ I took out a blog for my fanfiction writings, mostly so I can post pictures and links without having to spell it all out in the author's notes, etc. I posted the pictures of Bella's wedding dress and of the bridesmaid dresses as well as gave a little teaser as to what is going to happen next. If you are interested in taking a peek at it, please visit my profile page by clicking my pen name in the upper left. The link for the blog can be found on the right side of my profile pic under "Blog." Thanks!

…

**BPOV**

"Oh, Bella! You look simply stunning! You know, though, I just _knew _you would pick this one! I didn't have to have a vision of it to know it. I remember when I brought it home, how I said in my mind that this would be the one I would probably have picked for you because I just felt that you would have picked it for yourself!"

Alice was impassioned over the day. She picked me up at Charlie's early in the morning and had been fussing over my hair and makeup for the last three hours. She was elated when I told her which dress I wanted to wear. She ran into the walk-in and pulled out a z-rack that had nearly twenty dresses on it.

"Here it is!" she cried out.

It was so perfect for the occasion. It wasn't too much and it wasn't too little… it was just right. Everything fit together so well with it… the bridesmaid dresses, the flowers in our hair, the bouquets, the shoes, _everything_! I honestly did believe that Alice knew which dress I would select because it felt like every little other thing was planned around it perfectly. If I couldn't admit it before then I would have no choice but to admit it now: Alice knew me so well and if this wasn't evidence of that fact, then I don't know what could be!

I took the dress and slid into it. It fit just right. I stood in front of the mirror and twirled around once. Alice, Rose, Angela, Jen and Kathy all lined up behind me and twirled in their dresses too.

"We look so pretty," Jen giggled.

"It's true," Kathy smiled.

"I'm so happy that you're all here with me today," I said, tearing up a little at seeing us all together like this, just moments before my wedding, knowing I could trust these great friends of mine with such a powerful secret. As I stood there with my five sisters I could hardly believe that the day had finally arrived! Angela, Jen and Kathy started to tear up a little too and the six of us embraced in a big hug.

"If I could cry, I probably would," Rose laughed.

"That's enough now everyone," Alice said with a smile, "None of you need to go messing up your makeup with tears now. I worked hard on all your pretty little faces, so let's keep it together, okay?"

The girls sniffled and smiled and we took another look in the mirror. Alice and Angela were to my left and Rose, Jen and Kathy were to my right. We put our arms around one another's shoulders and took in the moment together.

Then came a light knock on the door.

"You can't have her yet," Alice pretended to yell.

"It's bad luck to see her before the wedding anyway," Rose played along.

"I just want to tell her I love her," Edward called through the locked door.

"You'll have to save it for the honeymoon, loverboy!" Angela snickered.

He knocked again, this time a little louder. I walked over to the door, but didn't open it.

"Hi, Edward," I smiled.

"Hi, love."

"Are you excited?" I asked.

I heard his laughter on the other side.

"You have no idea just how much so," he sighed. "I don't have to see you to know you look beautiful. I can't wait to see which dress you picked."

"Well, you'll have to," I teased.

"But not for long. The ceremony starts less than half an hour. Are _you_ excited?"

"Yes! I am _so_ excited, actually."

"Adalfieri is coming up. He wants to speak to the two of us. I know you can't come out… bad luck and all that jazz, but he wants to give us something."

"A wedding gift?"

"Yes. He wants to give it to us before we are married. It can't be wrapped."

Just then, I heard Adalfieri's strong voice on the other side of the door.

"Edward, my friend! You look ready for the big day."

"I am," Edward chuckled.

"Yes," Adalfieri chuckled back, "Best not to let that one get away. She is a priceless gem."

"She is," Edward agreed.

"Bella, darling? Are you in there?" Adalfieri asked.

"I am here," I said.

"Good then. I would like to give you your gift before you are connected and as one from this day on. The reason is because I am going to swear to each of you a powerful vow which will never expire nor go void under _any _circumstance. Isabella Marie Swan and Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, on behalf of the Twelve Princes, I swear unto you at this hour a vow: You have our solemn promise that I and mine are always with you, through all of your trials and burdens. We swear to undertake them with you and if there should ever arise a need for us to be called upon to come to your aid or defense, you have our promise that we will come. You need only ever ask."

"Thank you Adal," Edward said warmly. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes, thank you very much Adalfieri," I added.

"This is a wonderful gift," Edward said. "You and your princes and your lovely Wild Cards mean worlds to us and we will never forget your kindness."

"Thank you, Edward. And thank you, Bella. We are very happy to be here this day. We know we are witnessing a great and solid union, and we only look forward to sharing more happy memories with you. You are a lovely couple and you only ever have our blessing."

"Thank you," I said, lifting my hand to the door.

I could just sense and feel that Edward had lifted his too, and the only thing between my hand and his was the locked door.

"Okay, okay boys!" Alice laughed, "That will do. We have to get Bella and the girls set up. She will be walking toward you in less than twenty minutes, Edward. Go round up the rowdy boys and get in your places. And no peeking, Edward! Not even through our eyes. I want the first time you see your lovely Bella in her wedding dress is to be when she is walking your way to be with you forever! Deal?"

"That sounds very reasonable, Alice. I'll get the guys in place. Bella?"

"Yes Edward?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

...

My goodness! How time flew since I had stepped out of the dressing room. Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, Jen and Jacob, Angela and Adalfieri, and Kathy and Vicnezo had already walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's _Canon in D_. The music for the wedding march was beginning and I began to breathe somewhat rapidly.

"Are you ready?" Carlisle asked.

I placed my arm in his and nodded my head.

"Are you sure?" he chuckled.

"Yes," I gasped, "I think I am just fine."

He laughed a little and we began to move forward. I didn't look around because I knew I would probably hyperventilate if I did. I didn't look at the Wolves that came to celebrate, or the Princes or the Wild Cards or Esme or Eric. I didn't even look at the wedding party who stood on either side of the altar where I would be promising my life to the man I loved. Instead, I looked straight ahead at the gorgeous man I was marrying today. His side was my destination, and I began to think about how that would always be the case. Last night he told me that there is no place he would rather be than by my side. The same was true for me and being by his side. I would always be happy there… always satisfied… never lacking, and never wanting for more or for something different. I would love him forever, and I had known that since he first clipped some blue flowers and handed them to me the first day of our Biology project. I knew it when he rescued me from a party in Port Angeles. I knew it when we stared into each other's eyes as the sun set on the ocean. I knew it when he asked me to marry him. I knew it when I fell asleep last night and I knew it when I woke up this morning. I will know it every day so long as I live. I chuckled when I thought of how this was all pushed into motion by him dropping his wallet in my bedroom one night not so very long ago. I was so happy to be walking toward him now and every step I took brought me a step closer to the truest happiness I have ever known.

When I finally arrived at Edward's side, Carlisle released my arm and Edward reached his hand out and took mine. He lifted it to kiss it and the expressions on our faces mirrored one another's. There was so much love in his eyes and peace filled the small space between us as I felt love radiating out of mine too.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

"So do you," I giggled.

"Thank you," he said with a small laugh. "I knew you'd pick this one," he said, looking at the dress.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Because I know you," he said, giving my hand another kiss.

Carlisle stepped before us and greeted the guests.

"Our dear family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to witness the union of this man and this woman. Edward and Bella have searched their hearts and each has prepared something to say to one another."

He nodded to Edward, who pulled a folded piece of paper out of the inner pocket of his tux. He unfolded the paper, but before he could finish unfolding it, he refolded it and placed it back into the pocket.

"I don't need that," he smiled, "To remember all of the things that I want to tell you today. For you see, I have wanted to say these things to you since _before _I first met you, Bella. Ever since the earliest moments around you, I have always wanted this day. I have always wanted _you_. All of this began before we ever spoke to one another. It was at the very sight of you that my very soul revived and was brought back to life. _Who you are_… your _soul_, is with me, even now, and I am convinced that with or without our bodies, we can live on and be together forever. It all started with a _hope_… and as the hope was nurtured, it grew into a _belief_… and that belief has matured to a sweet knowledge. The _knowledge_ of love that you have brought to me runs through me… it is my life force… and truly, you _are_ my life now. Isabella Marie Swan, I promise to love you for a long as we both shall live. If one day we cease to live, as long as some particle of my soul shall but remain, it will only ever belong to you; for I am yours forever."

I felt the tears well up in my eyes and I sighed as I felt them begin to roll down my cheeks. I looked down for a moment and took that time to breathe. His words were so beautiful and touched my heart in such a way that the tears began to flow more openly now. I sniffed and giggled a little.

"Thank you, Edward," I whispered, "Your words are so beautiful."

He smiled at me as I felt everyone's eyes turn to me. I became slightly nervous as I realized that they were all waiting for me to speak. I stared into Edward's eyes, and what I had_ thought_ I planned to say just slipped away. My heart was filled to the brim with love for him and although my original words I had prepared were nothing but true, what came out in that moment felt even truer. The moment that I had rehearsed in my mind melted away and a new, more genuine, sincere and forthright moment took its place.

"I have been independent my entire life," I started, "Singular and alone in the world. I've never relied on others before, and I never dreamed that I would _want_ to. But I _do_ want to, now. I want to rely on you, Edward Cullen. I depend on you. I am not weakened when I admit that. In fact, realizing this and saying it actually has the reverse effect. It makes me feel quite strong. I have never felt so strong before, but that is because I've never been truly in love before. I love you, Edward. And I need you. And I want to be with you forever. I promise to be yours and only yours for as long as I exist."

"Isabella Marie Swan," Edward smiled, "I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this moment forward. In the presence of God and our guests, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your dreams, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for all time."

"Edward Anthony Cullen," I said as he placed soft kisses on my wrists and palms, "I take you to be my friend, my lover, the father of our children and my husband. I vow that I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to comfort and encourage you, to stay with you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of each passing year for all time."

I slid a gold band onto the ring finger of his left hand, and he slid the ten carat diamond ring that had been a part of his family's history for three, now four, generations onto the ring finger of my left hand.

We then turned to Carlisle, who closed our ceremony by binding us together with the authority that he held to do so.

"Edward and Bella, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen. Mr. Cullen, you may now kiss your wife."

I watched as Edward lifted my veil and I closed my eyes as I felt a cool, gentle pressure against my lips.

**Tanya POV**

"I _tried_ to tell them, Irena. But they wouldn't listen. They've become too attached to them… our own family is turning against what is right."

I knew I could play my sister over this way. She had called me because she was having second thoughts about confessing to Aro the situation here in Forks. I knew her will would become weakened when she actually arrived at the gate of Aro's city, but I was not about to let her go back on her promise to me. I had made her swear that she not allow her resolve to become weak. I scared her into going off to Volterra early, and not waiting until after the wedding. I told her that I would try to talk some sense into our family while she was on her way toward Volterra. Of course, what sense was there to talk into them? Edward obviously had his mind set on marrying that blood-traitor skank, and if there was nothing I could do to stop their wedding… _so be it. _But I wasn't going to just sit the fuck back and let them have their disgusting 'happily ever after!' If I couldn't have Edward forever, then _no one_ could!

"You go on," I encouraged Irena with a soothing yet sturdy voice, "You tell them everything you know. Aro will touch your hand and see for himself the madness here. Don't worry. Since _we_ are the ones who are giving him the warning, I'm _sure_ he will spare us and our family. You know it's the right thing to do. The wolves will turn on us all eventually. It is the right thing and it is the _safe_ thing."

That did it. Now she was convinced. As she hung up the phone, I laughed wildly. Bella may be off enjoying her perfect day, but she would not get her perfect little life. She had the audacity to steal Edward away from me, and now that bitch will pay!

I grinned with wicked satisfaction at knowing that she and her shitty little family and their pet dogs were probably being turned into the Volturi at the _exact_ moment she was exchanging her wedding vows. I decided it would be significant to make a vow of my own in that moment:

_Isabella Swan, you will pay for taking Edward! I swear it!_

…

A/N: This chapter is called "Vows" because there are three promises made in it. The first is the gift from Adalfieri to Edward & Bella… that he and his Princes will come to their aid if they ever need help. Hmm, that sure seems like it could come in handy! Especially in conjunction with the new treaty between the Pack and the Clan. (Just a reminder that Adalfieri's name means "noble oath." I picked this name just for this moment, when he delivers their special wedding gift.) The second are probably the most obvious… Edward & Bella's wedding vows to one another. The third is the promise that Tanya makes... that she will not let Bella get away with "stealing" Edward away from her. Of course, we all know that Bella didn't steal him away from anyone because his heart has never belonged to anyone other than Bella. Nonetheless, Tanya is crazy and let's face it, she is dangerous too!

Originally, I had planned on going on and on about the dresses and the scenery. Instead, when I sat down to write the chapter, I decided to leave out a lot of these details and include pictures instead (see blog). I want to make it clear that the bulk emphasis is on the three sets of vows. After all, these three points are the driving force for the entire story from here on out.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read!

Until next time,

Stephanie


	14. Test

_(Two months later… The scene moves from September to November, where Thanksgiving Day is being celebrated at the Cullen residence)_

**BPOV**

"I'm really glad you decided to come along," I said to Charlie.

He was riding along with me in my 'new' car to Edward's house. Well, not actually _Edward's house_, per se, since Edward was actually living with me in my room. But since Charlie was completely oblivious to this fact, it seemed best to keep calling it 'Edward's house' when I was around him.

"Yup," he said flatly.

He wasn't excited about getting 'dressed up,' and as long as his attire was more than either his uniform or jeans and a t-shirt, it might as well have been a black tie affair.

"Do you like your new sweater?" I asked, concerning the sweater that Alice had picked out and gave to me to give to my dad as a gift.

"I'm not really a sweater kind of man," he said while keeping his stare straight ahead. Did that translate to, _No, I don't like it?_ "But this one is kind of alright," he tacked on at the end.

"Thanks," I said, trying to think of a way to change the conversation. Instead, I just decided to turn on the radio.

Guilt began to spread down my face in the form of a thick blush as the refrain of James Taylor's _I Will Not Lie for You_ spread through the too-small-all-of-a-sudden inside of the car. It seemed like all of the songs lately were about lies and deceit, but maybe that's just because guilt can make one see things that may not actually be there.

_It's only right for me to tell you  
When it's the wrong thing to do  
It's only right that you should know  
If he asks me  
I will not lie  
I will not lie  
I will not lie  
I will not lie for you_

_No, I won't lie for you  
Little girl, I won't lie for you  
No, I won't lie to him for you  
I will not lie for you_

I knew that this song wasn't about someone who lied to her father about getting married, but it seemed as though it may as well have been... the way the guilt spread like wildfire. I knew that one of these days, preferably _after_ graduation, I would sit down face to face with Charlie and just tell him that I had eloped and that I was married to Edward. I wouldn't go into detail about anything, such as, _Oh, by the way dad, when I say we eloped, I mean that it was months ago. And by 'eloped,' I mean that everyone was invited except for you and mom. Oh, is that a scrape you have there, dad? Let me just rub some salt and orange juice in it really quickly for you, there you go. _Yeah. It would be best to keep specifics to a minimum when that time finally rolled around.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"What?" I said, with a breathy laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine. Of course… I'm just fine."

He gave me a quizzical look, and I just hoped that he couldn't detect that I was lying to him. He always seemed to know when people were lying to him, and I wondered why I had been the exception up until this point.

"Alright then," he said with his eyebrows raised.

_Oh my God! Does he know? He probably knows that something is up… but he would never guess… would he? After all, he knew I got this new car and said the same thing with the same look when I told him that I got the new car and I would be driving it from now on. He said the same thing with the same look when I showed up three days later after I was changed by Edward. I was a little different, and I'm sure he picked up on something… but he must not have known exactly what. _

I was pretty paranoid these days, but then again, I suppose all liars lead such lives. I always felt… _tangled_, I guess. I felt like I was being tested around every turn, always having to watch my mouth so that nothing slipped. I had to be careful what I said around Charlie and to my mom on the phone and to everyone else who didn't know about the true nature of the Cullens. I had no problem keeping their secret… but I always blushed a bit when keeping my own. I had asked Edward several times if he heard anything go through Charlie's mind that might have given anything away about him knowing about the change or about our wedding. He told me that Charlie's mind was mostly blocked from him and that anything he did hear from his head was usually muffled and unclear. This only made the trials... the _test_... more difficult to bear.

We were finally pulling up into the long drive of the Cullen's house and I let out a sigh of relief. But that relief was short-lived as I thought about the other things that were stressing me out these days. I couldn't wait to talk to Alice later today… when I could be sure that we were completely alone. I wondered if Alice saw our conversation coming, and I wondered how she would react throughout the day if she did know.

"Charlie! Bella!" Jake welcomed us, opening the front door before we even rang the bell.

"Hey there, kid," Charlie smiled warmly at Jake.

"Happy Thanksgiving, sir," Edward said to my father.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Edward."

"Hi," Edward smiled at me.

"Hey," I said, allowing him to take my hand in his as he entwined his fingers through my own.

"At last!" Alice said. "Everyone is here! Except for Seth, who got suckered into going over to Kari Michelle's to spend the day with her family. I swear Bella, when these guys imprint, is there nothing they won't do for the ones they imprint on?"

"Nope," interrupted Jake with a loud laugh. He gave Jen a squeeze and a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"At least his girlfriend is super-nice," Alice said. "It is so cool that she is a ballerina."

I remembered at how we all laughed when we found out that she was the one he imprinted on. She lived in Oak Harbor, Washington. It was serendipitous that they ever met at all. We had all gone to Seattle for a concert back in October, and she and her friends sat just a few rows behind us. Seth spent more time looking at her than at the stage that night. She was so beautiful and Jake and the other wolves had a good laugh about how she was out of his league for sure.

_"Tough break, man," Jake started._

_"Yeah," Embry poked him in the ribs, "Too bad you're stuck with imprinting on someone who will never give you the time of day. That is rough. I'm sure glad I'm hot so that I could at least get my girl to look at me."_

Alice, Jen, Kathy and I were the only ones who encouraged him to go up to her after the show and talk to her. Those mean boys had pretty much deflated any confidence he would have had. He was only fifteen, though he looked more like eighteen or nineteen. He was a cute boy, but was not as brawny as the other members of the tribe who looked like they were in their twenties. He would get there soon, though. It would only be a matter of time.

It must have been in the nature that came with imprinting, because poor little Seth who never talked to girls in his entire life managed to build up the courage to trade numbers and ask her out on a date then and there, right on the spot. He came back having swayed the affections of a sixteen year old girl with bright red curly hair who just moved to the area from New York where she had attended the School of American Ballet. Her birthday was this month and all she asked for as a gift from him was to come with her to her parent's house so she could spend the day with all of the people she loved… which was her way of telling him that she loved him for the first time. I made fun of the wolves for not giving him enough credit before, because he had managed to make her just as head-over-heels in love with him as he was with her. She didn't have to say it a million times in order for it to be absolutely crystal clear. It was all in her eyes… the way she adored him.

Charlie and I walked into the kitchen, where there was tray after tray of fancy finger foods. The Cullens decided that this would be the best way to go, so that no one would be caught _not_ eating today. Charlie was the only one left out of the '_hey, we're a bunch of vampires and werewolves, and the funny thing about vampires is that they don't eat… well, they_ do_, but you'll never guess what they eat_' loop. Everyone was walking around Charlie with their plates somewhat full, which made it look as though they had at least been picking through the food. The wolves were the only ones who were scarfing it down like the wild animals they were.

I was glad that Charlie was here... that part of our conversation in the car earlier had been entirely true. I was hoping to warm him up to the Cullens so that one of these days when I told him that we were literally all one big family, hopefully he wouldn't flip out _too_ much. I figured that if he at least liked them, maybe he wouldn't complain _too much_ about it all. He hung out mostly with Carlisle and Esme, chatting about this and that. He had a lot of respect for Carlisle, who held a wonderful reputation at the hospital.

He kept checking his watch now and again, probably wondering how much longer he would need to stay cooped up in a mansion wearing a sweater.

"You looking to head out a little early?" Jake asked him when he saw him checking his watch for the tenth time. "I'm taking Jen to Port Angeles where we're having Thanksgiving dinner with her family tonight. If you want, I can swing you by my dad's place. I know he's going fishing later on and I'll bet he'd love to have someone to go with."

"Well," Charlie started, but paused for a moment, looking down at his sweater.

"If you want, I can swing you by your house so you can grab your fishing gear."

Charlie smiled and said that he would love that. It was nice of Jake to offer, though what he was really offering Charlie in swinging by the house first was a change of clothes. I strongly doubted that my dad wanted to take Billy's crap for wearing a nice sweater. _Especially_ a designer one that came from any member of the Cullens. Billy, Harry and Sam were still _very_ bitter about the new treaty that Jake had offered. It was unlikely that they were going to be willing to conform to the idea any time soon. Billy had even gone so far as to try to come up with all these reasons why I shouldn't be allowed to date Edward and griped to my dad about my relationship with him every chance he got. That was, of course, _after _Edward and I got married. Billy knew about the marriage, but didn't tell Charlie. I wondered if maybe today would be the day that he finally would, and I began to feel that blush rise again as the fear sank deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach. I literally felt like I was going to throw up, and I turned to Alice who gave me a wink and a smile. I just quickly turned the other way, wondering all the while if she saw me puking my guts out every morning in the near future.

"See you later, kiddo," Charlie said to me on his way out with Jake and Jen.

"Bye," I waved, hoping to God that Billy would just keep his big trap shut about Edward and me forever.

Another wave of nausea hit and I ran upstairs toward the bathroom that was the farthest away from where everyone was gathered, hoping that no one would hear me as I couldn't help but toss my cookies.

...

"So…" Alice prompted as she and I walked up to her room. Everyone else had gone out for a hunt after the wolves and their girlfriends left. Alice said that she had taken a meal a little earlier because she just didn't want to wait anymore. I knew when she told the others that before they left us alone that she probably did know the words which were about to pop out of my mouth. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Uh…"

"Oh, Bella! You're not changing your mind, are you? Come, come now. I've already heard what you _want_ to say, so why don't you just say it already so we can get all the pieces of the puzzle solved?"

"Well," I started, and then took a big gulp, trying to push past the nerves so that I might think of some way to put this all very delicately.

Alice sat down on the edge of her bathroom vanity and motioned for me to sit down on her little matching chair. I looked into the mirror and saw the blush creeping up my face for what seemed like the hundredth time today and the millionth time since I got married two months ago.

"Has something gone missing recently?" she asked with a grin.

I laughed at how absurd it was that she was prompting me this way.

"Missing?" I asked. "Yes, Alice. You can most definitely say that something has gone _missing_." Tears were beginning to roll out of my eyes and down my cheeks from laughing too hard. I had imagined that if I were going to be shedding tears for any reason tonight, it would have been from _anything _but laughing. As I finally began to calm down and come to my freaking senses the mood turned more serious, as was appropriate for what was to come. "It has gone missing twice, actually."

"Interesting," Alice noted, also in a serious tone. "Have you taken a test?"

"I just don't see the point," I said. "Something must just be different about my body now. After all, with all the changes, both from Jake's little 'blood transfusion' stunt last year and from Edward's venom… it's just that… well, I'm on the _Pill_, Alice! I don't think it would even be possible to… need a test for anything. It must just be something with my body... something about it all that's changing. It must have just taken awhile for these changes to kick in or something?"

She pushed herself off the counter of the vanity and moved closer to me, placing her hand over my tummy.

"I can't tell… that is to say, I can't _hear_ anything. I thought maybe I might be able to _feel_ it," she smiled.

"Feel _what_?" I asked nervously.

"When is your next cycle supposed to start?" she asked.

"Well… if things were on track, it would actually have started _today_. But… nothing so far."

"Hmm," she mused, "That means that you are missing something for going on _three_ months then."

"The Pill," I started, but she interrupted me before I could even think of what I was going to say next.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Edward is a vampire and you are not strictly human yourself, Bella. Do you really think that the Pill is going to stop these kinds of things from happening?"

"Carlisle put me on it," I said frantically, trying to argue with Fate or with Alice, or with whoever would listen.

"Carlisle doesn't have experience with previous patients who can claim that they are in your situation," she said a little too seriously.

So this was it then? So this was how it was going to be?

"I guess I will no longer have to come up with some good reason to give Charlie for why Edward and I would elope," I said gravely.

"You are already married," she said.

"But I wasn't when I conceived it," I replied quickly.

"It happens to the best of us, Bella. Nonetheless, you are married now. Maybe you should just tell Charlie about everything."

"Are you flipping kidding me, Alice? If I decided to do that, which I never will, but if I did, can you even begin to imagine what you might see? My dad, a shotgun, screaming at Carlisle for not teaching his son to keep his pants on… all that drama? Thanks, but _no_ thanks, Alice. After all, you said that you can't hear anything or feel anything. This might all be a fluke anyway."

"No, Bella. It's not. I've already seen her."

"_Her?_"

"Yes. She's a she," Alice laughed.

"Get in the car, Alice."

"Why? Where are we going?"

I rolled my eyes. "Do you _really_ have to ask?"

"They're closed," she said, referring to the little market I was planning on going to so that I might purchase a pregnancy test. "But I knew they would be and I saw this coming, so here you go."

She walked over to a drawer and pulled out a long, slender pink box. I turned it over in my hands, feeling it. There was some part of me that just wasn't willing to actually _see_ it just yet. When it finally did register in my brain that I was holding a pregnancy test, I couldn't think of any other reaction to have.

"A two-pack?" I asked, laughing a little.

"It was just a dollar more than it would have been for a single," she smirked.

"Since when are you into saving a few bucks?" I asked credulously, opening the box and pulling one of the individually wrapped tests out. "It's not like there's going to be _two _little bundles of stressful joy in there or anything! Geeze, Alice!"

"Well, there might be a next time someday," she said grinning wider, probably trying to see how many of my buttons she could press before I would completely shut down and officially freak the fuck out.

I rolled my eyes again.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, Alice. I can't believe I'm going to be peeing on a piece of plastic tonight to find out if I'm flipping preggers! I must look so trashy right now!"

"Hey," she said sharply, "You do _not_ get to refer to yourself as _trashy_, got it? You are my sister and even you don't get to talk about yourself that way. No put-downs. Not ever. Look, Bella, I know that this wasn't exactly… _planned_… but at least you get to be capable of this wonderful gift. You won't want for anything. You have a man who adores you and who will do anything to make you happy. You aren't going to want for a warm home full of family members who are going to spoil you and your little girl…"

"But I am going to make Charlie so ashamed of me. He wouldn't expect this of me and I just don't know how I'm going to be able to tell him the truth if this thing has… is it two lines or what?"

"I got the easy kind," she smiled, "It will either say 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant.'"

"You've got a handle on everything," I sighed.

"Not everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I can see her. But what she looks like changes back and forth with every vision I have."

"What does she look like?" I asked in wonder.

"Well, sometimes she is a little brunette, just like her mommy, with big chocolate eyes and everything. Really, a spitting image of _you_. But other times, she is blond with tight little curls and big blue eyes. She has the face of her daddy with just different color eyes and hair, and curls… But like I said, what she looks like changes. The only time that my visions have changed in the past is because someone changes their mind to do something else instead of what they were just planning on doing. It's as if Fate just can't make up its mind about what she is going to look like."

"Hey," I offered, "Maybe Fate hasn't made up its mind about whether or not I'm pregnant?"

"No," she smiled, "Your uterus has definitely made up its mind, Bella, whether Fate has or not. Sorry. Just pee on the stick already so you don't have to wonder anymore."

"How is it that you are so sure?" I asked as I tore open the wrapper and pulled the stick out. "I mean, maybe what you see is years away? Who's to say that I am pregnant right now?"

"The date on the calendar at her first birthday party," she laughed.

"Are you serious?"

She nodded her head and smiled. "Do you want me to turn around while you do it, Bella?"

"I'm not sure I know what I'm doing with it," I admitted.

"It's easy. Just do what the instructions say."

"And what's that?"

"Just pee on the darn thing. How hard can it be? Here," she said, removing a little cap from the tip of the test, "On this part," she pointed.

I felt ridiculous as I held it under me. I can't remember having ever peed on anything before. I felt so strange at having to _aim_ for something. We sat and waited for the results together as the few minutes tortured me for what felt like an eternity.

"What are you going to tell Edward?" she asked as we were waiting to see the little pink words, whichever way they might have gone.

"Edward?" I asked, stunned at realizing that I hadn't thought of what to tell my husband about our… _unique circumstance_.

"Yeah. How will you do it? Are you just going to come right out and say it? Or are you going to write him a letter or make him a card and give it to him? Oh, I know! You should…"

"Wait Alice. Just hold on for a minute. We don't even know what the test says yet."

"Well," she smirked, "_I_ know what it says."

"But I don't. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself… you know, jump the gun and all that. I think I just want to wait for a minute."

"Well," she said simply while looking at her watch, "A minute is literally all you've got, my dear. Sixty more seconds and there will be one little word waiting for you."

_One_ word. Not _two_ words.

I tried to think of how I was going to tell Edward about all of this, but I just couldn't get my head wrapped around what was actually happening.

"Alice!" I said, panicking, "Please, whatever you do, promise me that you won't tell Edward. Promise me that you will leave it to me. I _will_ tell him, Alice. I _will_. But I want to do it my way and in my own time. I want to be the one he hears it from. Don't even _think_ about this moment when you are around him. Please?"

She puckered her lips and tilted her head, taking the remaining ten seconds to think about it before she finally said, "Alright."

We flipped the little test over, and my eyes darted directly to the tiny screen with the results:

_Pregnant_.

…

A/N: Of course, this chapter is called "Test" because of the inevitable pregnancy test, but also remember that Bella said she felt like she was constantly being tested at having to watch what she said to those who weren't in on the secret. With all of these layers of secrets, I wonder if she will just learn her lesson and be FORTHRIGHT from now on? Hmmm....

Also, I would like to take a small moment to announce that I took out a blog last week that goes along with my fanfic writings. It's just a place where I post a few extras. For example, the honeymoon for this story didn't really fit in with the story. I wasn't actually planning on writing one at all, but I felt a little guilty about it since it's kind of a BIG DEAL now that they're married. However, the way the outline works is that the story moves straight from Tanya's vow to this little chapter where _the plot thickens_, mwah-ha-ha... (Yes, that was my attempt at an evil snicker... but anyway...)

If you would like to check out the blog, the link can be found on my author profile page. It's at the very top, on the right side of the profile pic. Have fun!

Stephanie

P.S. For the sake of giving credit where credit is due, Kari Michelle is a real person, though she is two years older than her fictional counterpart. The red hair and the bit about being a ballerina who studied in New York at the School of American Ballet is absolutely true! Thank you b4bystar! XOXO


	15. New Home

_(About another month has gone by and it is the week before Christmas)_

**EPOV**

The way they _whispered_.

Sometimes it made me sort of paranoid. They would sit among themselves and whisper so low that I couldn't hear anything being said and then giggle at me.

"What?" I asked Bella, Alice, Rose and Esme.

They continued to giggle and insist that it was nothing at all. I was starting to grow a bit self-conscious. Was there something wrong with me that only the women could see? Or was it something that everyone could see and the guys were just keeping their mouths shut? What in the hell was going on around here? It's been like this for almost four weeks.

"What?" I asked again, but they just giggled and left the living room, chattering all the way up the stairs. I turned to Jasper and Emmett who were just walking in the house, tossing their shoes on a rug to let the snow dry off of them. "What is going on around here?" I asked them.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked.

"The girls are acting silly," I said as if it were something obvious.

"Aren't' they always?" Jasper laughed.

"No, I'm serious. Something is… up," I said sternly, hoping that if I said it harshly enough then maybe they would see it too.

"Look man," Emmett started, as if he were about to give some very wise advice, "Let me just say it, okay? Girls… they're weird, man. That's just how they operate, you know? They get all chatty… I've seen it too. Rose hovers around the girls more than she does around me these days. They're all secretive and gone all the time, sneaking in shopping bags and stuff. I don't know… it's all just… well, like you said. It's silly."

"Yeah," Jasper agreed. "Like the other day, I go to help Alice with getting some shopping bags out of her car, right? But she all smacks me away and tells me I'd better not be going through them or I'd get an ass-whoppin' for sure."

"So what does he do?" Emmett prompted, laughing and waving his hands around wildly.

"Of _course_ I'm gonna' go through em'," Jasper said as if there were nothing else that he _could_ have done.

"What was in them?" I asked with a little too much excitement.

"I don't know," Jasper said, and I felt crestfallen.

"You don't know?" I asked, trying to clarify.

"He didn't get the chance to find out. Rose caught him trying to peek in the bag and boy, did she slap him three ways sideways," Emmett boomed, slapping Jasper on the back, making a loud _crack_. "What a stupid thing to do," he laughed out at Jasper.

"Emmett, you douche bag, I don't think you're qualified to call anyone stupid," Jasper sneered.

"Whatever, you turd burglar!" Emmett continued to laugh then slapped Jasper on the back of the head.

Jasper ran after him, out of the house and through the snow.

"What a pair of idiots," I murmured to myself as I walked up the stairs and to my room.

Oh well. At least they knew that something strange was going on too. I was glad to have some kind of confirmation that I wasn't just being strangely paranoid. I walked down the hall, past Rose and Emmett's room. I heard the girls in there with the door closed, cooing away about how cute some of their new clothes were. It wasn't like Bella to go on so many of their shopping trips voluntarily, but lately she had been pretty agreeable. And yet, I noticed that she hadn't actually added anything to either her closet in this house nor in the one at Charlie's. How is it that she managed to stand going with them but never actually bought anything? But, she had been spending money. She never used any of our cards. She just withdrew cash. It was always gone when she came home, but where was it all going? I wanted to ask her about it several times, but decided against the idea. After all, I was happy that she felt comfortable spending our money. It was something that I had planned on forcing her to do at some point, but her interest in spending it on whatever it was that she was buying saved me the trouble.

"Get away from the door," Rose yelled out.

"I was just passing by," I defended myself instinctively.

"Uh-huh," Alice said. I could tell by the tone of voice she was using that she was rolling her eyes.

Okay, so maybe I had been slightly caught hovering around the door. But so the hell what? Do I not have the right to try and figure out what my wife is up to? She seemed so distant lately. I constantly caught her staring off at the sky and sighing contently. It was as if she spent most of her time daydreaming or something. Yet, every time Jasper was around her, I could see through him that she felt worried… even _scared_. Of what, I had absolutely no idea. I was beginning to wonder if maybe us staying at Charlie's house was causing all the strain. She was obviously uncomfortable with telling her father about us being married. But I also knew that if she could choose between living there and us having our own place, without anyone else's opinions on the matter rolling through her head… I just knew that she would want us to have our own place.

I flipped open my phone and called Carlisle. I decided I had a deal to make regarding some property on the Far West side of the estate. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift, along with another big surprise that she would never suspect in a million years!

**BPOV**

"He'll never suspect it in a million years," I giggled at Rose, Alice and Esme.

I had my first sonogram at the hospital this morning. Needless to say, Carlisle was absolutely stunned. I just hope that doctor-patient confidentiality would really mean something. I was nervous that he might let a thought slip between now and Christmas. I slipped the picture of the little heartbeat into the Christmas card I picked up for Edward. This would be the perfect gift.

"Oh, just look at this little one," Rose cooed over the pink onesie she was holding up in front of her. "Isn't it just the cutest one of all?"

"Yes," Esme giggled, "Just like all the other cutest ones of all we have stashed away. You know, we have more little outfits for her than she will be able to wear."

"Not if we change her fifteen or sixteen times a day," Alice said seriously, completely meaning that. "After all, I hear that babies need to have their clothes changed a lot anyway, because they spit up and stuff."

"But fifteen or sixteen times?" I asked.

"Well… yeah. I mean, after all, it's always better to be safe than sorry," Alice grinned sheepishly.

"What are you thinking for baby names?" Esme asked.

"Brook," Rose said while at the same time Alice said, "Catie."

"I was asking _Bella_," Esme laughed. "What do you think you might want to call her?"

"Umm," I said, biting my lip. "I haven't really thought about it just yet. I was going to wait and see what Edward thought first."

"Well, when you tell him about her, be sure to call her Brook. You know, just to test the waters and all," Rose said confidently, giving me a wink.

"_Or_, better still, why not try out Catie? We could call her 'Catie-cat.' Wouldn't that just be the cutest?" Alice said sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Brookie-cookie," Rose insisted.

"Catie-cat," Alice argued.

"Brookie-cookie!" Rose said a little louder with her eyebrows raised, stomping her foot.

"Catie-cat!" Alice snarled.

"Girls, girls!" Esme yelled at Alice and Rose to calm them down. "We're not even there yet. First, daddy has to find out. And whatever name they choose together as a couple, _without any influence on our parts_, I'm sure it will fit her just perfectly. We're just happy there is going to be a little addition to the family, right?"

"Yes," they said together, all the anger from the argument melting away at the thought of a sweet little jewel learning to walk before our eyes.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Esme called out.

"It's Edward," Alice said, panicking a little.

"You were too loud," Rose hissed at Alice.

"Whatever, motor-mouth. You're as loud as a tractor!" Alice snapped back.

Esme shot them a warning glance, letting them know that now was not the time.

"May I please see my lovely wife for a little while?" Edward asked. "It's Winter Break and you guys have stolen her away for quite long enough. I haven't had the chance to see her at all yesterday, or today."

I licked the envelope and sealed it tightly. I handed the wrapped card and picture to Esme.

"Hide it," I told her.

She nodded her head as I stood to open the door.

"Hey there, pretty lady," Edward smiled.

"Hey."

"What have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing," I said, blushing.

"Why don't you come with me? I have something I want to show you."

"I know you've been feeling stressed out lately," Edward said as we ran.

"You do?"

"Yeah. And I can't believe I didn't see the reason at first," he laughed.

_Oh my God! He must have heard us laughing away like a bunch of wild hyenas in Rose's room earlier. How is he going to handle this? So far, he hasn't crumbled down to the ground. This must be a good sign, I suppose._

"Reason?" I asked, trying to see how much he would say without me having to say anything at all.

"Yes, Bella. You can't hide it from me."

"I can't?" I asked timidly, managing to mentally brace myself as I ran at top speed to keep up with him.

"Nope. I figured it all out. I know you've been afraid to tell Charlie everything, and I stick by what I said; that I wouldn't push you to tell him anything you didn't want to. We'll still do the whole 'eloping thing' on your schedule. But in the meantime, I think it would be more relaxing for you to have a place where we can be together without having to watch every step and breath we take. No more walking on eggshells for you, love."

We stopped all of a sudden and he made a grand gesture toward a humble little abode before us, as if to say, _"tah-dah!"_

"A house?" I asked.

We had run West for a few minutes until we came to a small cottage.

"Yup," he said, taking a key and unlocking the door.

He motioned for me to enter. I stood inside and he flipped on a light switch. The inside was completely void of furnishings, other than the appliances that were already in the kitchen. The wood floors were beautiful and the windows in the kitchen and living room, as well as the bedroom, were tall and wide. They would allow a lot of natural light in when the sun set.

"Just the one bedroom?" I asked.

"There's only the two of us," he said.

"Huh," I simply released a single, breathy laugh. I was relieved that he seemed to have no idea what the true reason for me being so nervous and stressed out lately actually was.

_For now,_ I thought concerning his last remark._ We'll see what you say on Christmas morning._

"I know it's not the largest house, but it is _away_ from the world. We can tell Charlie that you and Alice are going to be roommates. He might even think it's a _good_ idea, you know? Getting out in the world and paying rent and all that? Being a responsible adult?"

"I don't know," I said. "I don't see how he would go for it…"

"He already has," he said with a bright smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Carlisle called to see if an arrangement could be made. He called on behalf of Alice, who wants to move out and be more 'grown up.' Carlisle said he doesn't want to let his daughter move too far out, so he offered her this cottage if she could find a roommate that would be trustworthy enough to live here with her. The only one that came to her mind happened to be you."

"Does Alice know about any of this?" I asked skeptically.

"Bella," he laughed, "She is not actually going to be your roommate. _I_ am!"

"Oh yeah," I said. "And you think Alice will play along?"

"Bella," he rolled his eyes and smiled, "What makes you think that she _won't_?"

"It just seems too good to be true," I said.

"It is true," he smiled. "Merry Christmas a little early, Bella."

He held his arms out, waiting for me to walk into his hug.

"I love you," I said, closing the little gap between us.

We stood together in our new home, and for the first time in nearly a month I felt completely at ease, knowing that everything was going to be just fine.

...

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and thank you to mommybrook and CatieLardin, to whom this chapter is dedicated. You ladies are fabulous! Check out their stories… these babes rock!


	16. The Move

**BPOV**

I admit that I had my worries at first, but Edward and Alice were right. Things really were just smoothly falling into place. Yesterday, we packed up the contents of my room and this morning Emmett showed up in a truck with a small trailer attached to it. Since Charlie insisted on helping his only kid move out of the house, we all had to go very slowly. Emmett and Jasper were rolling their eyes every time Alice, Rose or I handed them a box to carry down the stairs… _one at a time_. Edward just laughed quietly when Charlie told him not to try and carry too much at once, and that he wouldn't want him to throw his back out or anything. All in all, what could have been a ten minute process turned into over two hours. That included the twenty minute breaks we acted like we needed to take each hour.

"There," Charlie said, wiping his brow and sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. "Finally, we're all done. Who knew you had so much stuff in that little old room of yours, kiddo?"

"I guess things add up," I smiled.

"Yup. I guess so," he laughed.

"Thank you so much, Charlie!" Alice squeaked. "I promise to take really good care of your daughter! I am so excited to have her around even more!"

"I know you'll be good for her, Alice," Charlie said sincerely. "And she's eighteen. She can do whatever she likes. I'm just glad she's around a good group of kids like you all."

"What a sweet thing to say," Rose smiled warmly, buttering my dad up even more.

I felt a twinge of guilt just then. Would he still think they were so good for me if he knew that I was secretly married to one of them… and that I was pregnant? Then again, not even Edward knew about that… _yet_.

_Four more days,_ I thought to myself. _Four more days and Edward will know everything. _

I took in a deep breath as I continued to brace myself for what his reaction might be. I had been so afraid all this time. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me and in being with me. I didn't want to make him 'that guy' at school… the one who got a teenager pregnant when he was 'just a teenager himself.' I know he said he didn't care what others would think of us being married, but would that mindset still be there when it came to what they thought of us having a baby at such a young age? Especially one that was unplanned?

"We'd better get this show on the road, ya'll," Jasper said, hopping in the truck. Emmett and Rose hopped in too, and they drove off first.

"I'll see you on Christmas," I said to Charlie, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You know, I'll be here before then and after then too, Bells. You don't need to call before you stop by or anything. You're always welcome to visit."

Alice and I hopped in Edward's car as he staggered behind so that he could shake my dad's hand. They were both wearing gloves, so I doubt Charlie could feel how frigid Edward's hands really were.

"Take care of her," my dad whispered to the man he didn't know was my husband.

"I will, sir. I promise," Edward whispered back seriously, meaning each word as much as the last.

…

Edward, Alice and I followed behind the others in the truck, who were speeding far too fast for my taste.

"Do you see them going off the road and crashing with all of my stuff any time soon?" I asked Alice.

"Maybe," she giggled. "Don't worry though, Bella. I've already ordered the furniture for your new place. It ought to be here a little later today. It… um… _matches_ some other stuff I got you. But you'll have to wait until Christmas Day to see _those_ things," she giggled.

I knew right away that she was saying that what would be delivered later today would all coordinate with the baby furniture, and I wondered what she was thinking about to keep Edward from seeing the crib, changing table and rocking chair that she had picked out. She, Rose and Esme were super-secretive about it, and wouldn't allow me to even peek at the catalogues. They wanted me to be completely surprised. Maybe seeing the furniture for the house would help give me some idea of what would go into the baby's room? I thought about her often and wondered what she would end up looking like. Would she be just like me? A mix of Edward and me? Or, would she be her daddy's little clone? I gazed out the window as we sped along toward our tiny cottage that was surrounded by trees and filled with love.

We were almost there when Edward received a text. He stopped the car on the side of the road and dialed the number to the house quicker than the buttons would catch. He sighed in frustration when he had to delete them and start all over, going more slowly this time.

"What is it?" I asked him.

His eyebrows were closely knitted and he looked terrorized.

"Alice?" I asked, spinning around to look at her in the backseat.

She pulled out her phone to make a call, but it rang before she could slide open the Qwerty board.

"Hello?" she asked.

"No answer," Edward said, pushing his own phone closed.

"How much time do we have?" Alice asked, and both Edward and I froze.

"Time for what?" I whispered.

I could tell he was scanning Alice's thoughts.

"Someone is here," he said. "It's a member of the Volturi."

"The _what_?" I asked.

"The Volturi," he repeated. "They will not be happy to find out about you. Or the werewolves, which they _will_ find out about when they do a little research on _you_ and find out that your blood has been mixed with one of the blood of something they consider to be filthy and low. It's not that adding members to our clan is a crime. I was happy to change you because I knew that you would be safer as one of us than a 'human who knew too much.' At least we can report to them that much... that you _have_ been changed, even if it didn't result in you taking on all of our _features_. But I was never planning on the Volturi… finding out about… _our little secret. They have no idea about the Wolves, and I can't imagine they will be pleased with learning of them being here and of the treaties we have kept with them for nearly a hundred years._"

"What do they do to 'humans who know too much?'" I asked.

"They… take care of them," he whispered with worry.

"In other words… they _kill_ them…" I realized out loud.

He just nodded his head.

"Call the wolves," Alice said into the phone. "Make sure they are on standby, just in case. It might be best if they just fled the area for now, actually."

"Tell them to stay on their own lands," Edward told Alice. "They are protected there by the magic of their tribe better than anywhere else. Since the contracts they make are bound in magic, they will have more power on their side if one of the Guard crosses into their territory. Just be sure to make certain that they know to stay away from our house for awhile."

"Did you get all that, Jasper?" she asked. "Good. Tell them we'll call them when it is safe to come back out."

"Are they just going to go into hiding?" I asked Edward.

"It would be the safest thing for them. As for _you_… I'm afraid we will have no option other than to let whoever is at the house meet you. We can't look like we have anything to hide."

"But we _do_ have something to hide!" I panicked, trembling.

"You are nothing to hide. It isn't your fault that you had your blood mixed, Bella. It's not your fault. Surely they'll see that."

"Do you really think they're going to care about all that? They're going to see me as not truly a vampire. I'm still warm and my heart still beats… they might just consider me a human… a _human_ who _knows too much_! What if they want to destroy me?"

"They won't," he said, trying to calm me down.

"What about any children we have someday? Will they just be considered 'humans who know too much?'" I was completely frantic now and my palms were beginning to sweat as my heart felt like it was literally leaping out of my chest.

"They will be the offspring of two vampires," he said, rubbing my shoulders and kissing my forehead, still trying to get me to settle down. "And don't worry, love. We have a little while before we will have to worry about anything like that. All we have to worry about for now is them meeting just _you_."

_Just little ol' pregnant _me._ Yup. Just little ol' me and the baby I'm carrying. _

I gulped hard as Edward shifted the car into drive and continued the way we were headed. What I assumed was just going to be a worry-free day of moving into the new house had just taken a sharp turn to the most stressful day _yet_. How much worse could this get?

…

A/N: Thank you for reading. And thank you to those of you who review! I'll post again soon… this little chapter is just to get us from "here" to "there." And yes, Edward is going to find about Bella and her pregnancy very soon… though it might come in an unexpected way. Charlie will also find out about everything soon… but also in an unexpected way!

Until next time,

Stephanie


	17. Harbinger

**APOV**

_Oh my God! Oh my God!_

I knew that Edward was hearing my mental panic attack. It's not that I wanted to burden him by adding so much _more_ stress than he already had to deal with. I _tried_ to stop freaking out, but it just wasn't meant to be.

When he tried to comfort Bella by saying that they wouldn't have to worry about what would happen to the fate of their babies because it would be awhile before they had any, I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that he was completely _wrong_! I should have just jumped in the front seat and took over the wheel. I should have done a 180 and sped away so that we could get Bella into hiding somewhere far away and safe. I truly couldn't have imagined a worse situation to be walking into blind, yet blind is what I was regarding the future. Whoever was there was _really talented_ at making second-by-second decisions, and nothing was planned enough to allow me to have a vision of what might be ahead of us.

I only prayed that whoever was at the house wouldn't be able to hear the heartbeat. I tried to relax myself by remembering that it was something that had to be listened for very, very carefully. One had to pretty much know a baby was in there in order to search for the faint sound of the precious, tiny heartbeat. How the sonogram managed to pick it up, I have no clue. I closed my eyes and listened very hard for the little sound in that moment, but I couldn't pick it up over the racing drum that was Bella's heart.

As we pulled up to the house, I was the first one out of the car. I dashed into the house and looked around.

"Alice," Carlisle said smoothly, "This is Pahandus."

He motioned politely to a man in a black suit. He looked maybe twenty-two, and his eyes were full of mischief. Esme stood behind Carlisle. Jasper, Emmett and Rose were out informing the Wolves of our dangerous situation. I tried not to think of how dangerous this circumstance was as I strode forward and lifted my hand out to shake Pahandus' hand.

"Hello," I smiled at our guest.

I saw that he wore a pin on his tie that carried the seal of the Volturi. It had a small red gem, which indicated that Pahandus here was a Harbinger. His only role, then, was to come here and discover some sort of information, then deliver his findings directly to Aro, Caius and Marcus. Wasn't he in for quite the newsflash? As soon as news of Bella's pregnancy or the Wolves or her atypical change reached the Three's ears Aro's curiosity would be peaked, Caius' anger would be roused, and Marcus' paranoia would be pushed into full swing.

"What brings you to our quiet little neck of the woods?" I asked, hoping to find out why he had come.

"I'm only here to meet the latest addition to your _family tree,_" he smiled with a nod.

There was feistiness to his grin and his eyes shone with something akin to signals of full trouble ahead.

"Do you go around meeting _all_ new vampires, Pahandus?" I asked, the annoyance accidentally dripping out of my mouth as I did so. I wasn't meaning to be so sarcastic, but the thought of anything happening to Bella or her unborn child sent a vibe of hot anger throughout my entire frame. I thought quickly of a way to cover up my rude tracks and asked the first thing that came to mind after the snide remark. "And that _is _an interesting accent you have there. Tell me, where are you originally from?"

"I am from nowhere that concerns you," he smiled again as his eyes lit up with something between aggression and curiosity. He breathed in deeply, maybe sensing the fragrance of someone who wasn't quite _all the way_ vampire? I heard Bella and Edward walking up the stairs to the front porch, and there was no doubt that our visitor heard them too. "And no, to answer your question, Alice Cullen, I do not go around meeting _all_ new vampires. Only the ones that might be of a particular interest to my Masters."

"What makes _this_ new one so interesting to you?" I inquired, trying to not be so rude this time.

"Need you ask? Why don't _you_ tell _me_ what it is that makes Isabella Marie Swan so… _peculiar_?"

I felt sick at hearing him use her full name like that. There was a little voice in the back of my mind that suspected he already knew everything. Though how he could have found out about any of it… I began to rack my brain trying to think of some way that we might have been discovered. I was even more alarmed and slightly repulsed as his eyes let out a glimmer of something playful yet evil. He was charismatic and handsome, yet I could feel that he was also temperamental and… _hazardous_.

Before I could say anything more, the front door opened. Edward guided Bella in, keeping her close by his side. Her heart sounded like a hummingbird's and she looked as though she were about to cry from stress.

"Hello there, Miss Swan," Pahandus said, taking several quick steps forward to stand in front of her.

"Mrs. Cullen," she corrected him.

She looked him in the eye for only a fraction of a second before gasping softly and lowering her eyes to her feet. Our guest smiled wide and his eyes were positively vicious… yet somehow… _delicate_ too.

"I do apologize," he said. "I was unaware there had been a name-change. I was not informed of a wedding."

"It was all the rage," Rose said sarcastically, walking into the living room from the kitchen. She kicked clumps of snow off of her boots before reaching the carpet. "Though I'm _not_ surprised you didn't hear about the event, seeing as how you weren't invited or anything. What brings you here, anyway?"

Leave it to Rose to leave no room for interpretation. It was obvious that she was not happy about the Harbinger's visit. She rolled her eyes at him before he opened his mouth to speak, and crossed her arms and tapped her foot as if she'd been waiting for an hour for him to answer her question.

"Well," he said, turning sharply to Rose, "I have come to make assessments on behalf of the Volturi. Your cooperation will be vital to your success. This really is a 'pass' or 'fail' kind of a thing, you see, and we do understand that sometimes hearsay gets in the way of the truth. I am merely here to verify or terminate complaints made against your family and some of the local… _townsfolk_, shall we say?"

He laughed a little as he made his way around the room, looking around at the things we owned. He was giving me the creeps as it was, but I nearly lost it when he came within six inches of Bella. I saw Edward's arm flex as he tightened his fist. I was waiting to see a vision of Edward tearing him to bits, but as it was, it seemed that Edward hadn't made up his mind quite yet to go with something as drastic as clobbering the fool who was getting too close to his wife, _thinking _malicious things about her or our friends the Wolves, no doubt. Surely Edward was hearing it all.

"You say there were _complaints _made against us?" Carlisle asked. "May I ask who made the charges?"

"You may," he said, nodding his head once, grinning.

"Who made them?" Rose asked roughly.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," he laughed.

"You said we could ask…" Rose argued.

"But I did _not_ say that I would answer," he laughed again.

His eyes were full of joy and yet, also hate. I wished Jasper were here. I wanted to know what his insight to this creep would be. Obviously there was something going on, or maybe _not_ going on, in the Harbinger's head. Things didn't seem to be firing right in that noggin of his.

"I am here to find out more about _you_," he grinned at Bella. "Though… aren't there _others_?"

"Jasper and Emmett are not here right now," Esme said softly. "I can call them if you'd like, and ask them to come home."

"Where are they exactly?" Pahandus asked.

"They are hunting," Carlisle answered.

"Hmm… Is that so? No. Don't call them. I'm not concerned with them anyhow. Like I said, Bella, it is _you _who catches the eye of my masters. Not Jasper Whitlock or Emmett Cullen. Would you care to sit down? I know you must be stressed out, in your _condition_ and all."

"My _condition_?" Bella asked nervously. Did he know about the baby she was carrying?

He smiled and his eyes were something beautiful and alluring mixed with something else that was frigid and cruel.

"Your heart is beating very fast," he said. "The fact that you have a heartbeat at all is really _something_ all by itself. Take my hand, will you?"

She lifted her hand to his and he squeezed hers.

"Warm," he said simply.

"I am warm," she agreed, attempting to be as agreeable as possible with someone who represented a force that could do us all a great deal of harm. "I am a vampire, though," she added.

"We'll see about that," he chuckled.

"Edward bit me over the summer," she said in a pleading manner. "I have the marks on the back of my neck."

She grabbed her hair between her palms to pull it out of the way. Pahandus moved behind her and looked for himself.

"How did this happen, then?" he asked. "How are you warm, Bella? How is it that you have blood pulsing through you? I can hear it echoing throughout your belly. And how is it that you have a beating heart?" He was practically sneering at her as he spat out his questions.

"I…" she began but stopped short. She looked around at the rest of us helplessly before she could think of some sort of filler. "I… I don't know what to tell you."

"You mean to say that you don't _want_ to tell me the truth. Is that it?" he hissed in her ear.

I saw Edward's arm flex again.

"When was the complaint made?" Rose asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Pahandus moved away from Bella as if he were disgusted by her. He seemed to be deciding whether he would answer the question or not.

"A few months ago," he said. "Though, due to the nature of your probable crimes, I will let you know in advance that I am not to get specific with anything. All I can tell you is that your cooperation as a unit will be greatly appreciated, and may even turn into your saving grace, if it is decided at all that you shall have such a thing. It is no secret that your situation here is… _unique_. If you are honest with me, I will be kind with your case. If you are less than honest with me, I will not do you any favors concerning kindness. Are we all clear on this?" His frown grew as the volume of his voice went up and up.

We all nodded our heads.

"Good then," he smiled suddenly. It was as if this joker had some sort of mood-swing condition.

"I have questions that I understand you might be reluctant to answer. However, it is only for your benefit that you _do_ answer, and that you answer as completely and plainly as possible. Here is the first question. Bella Cullen, are you aware that to fraternize with any enemy to vampires is a crime punishable by up to and including destruction?"

"No," Bella said simply.

"Are you aware that you have a pack of such creatures living within a short distance of your current home?"

Bella bit her lip and looked around at us.

"No. I was not," she said.

"It is alleged that you do know of them, and that you are in fact _mixed_ with them, Bella. Are you sure you do not wish to revise your previous answer?"

"I do not wish to revise anything," she insisted.

"I see," the Harbinger said. "Is there nothing you wish to tell me about this matter?"

"About _what_ matter?" Bella asked smoothly.

"That will be all," Pahandus said.

With that, he walked out the front door, closing it behind him. We stood there in the living room for several moments before Edward broke the silence.

"He didn't buy it," he said flatly. "Not a single word of it. He will be back. Probably with _more_."

"Were you able to discover who told them about us and the Wolves?" Rose asked him.

"I don't think he even knows," he answered. "He was only sent here to try to get some answers, but he knew he wouldn't get any further than he did. But I can tell you that he knows that the Volturi are paranoid. They are afraid that we will rise up against them with the Wolves. They are afraid of any alliance we might make with anyone at all. They thought about separating us from the Denali's, but they realized they wouldn't have any just reason to give to ban us from them or them from us. Now that the Twelve Princes and the Wild Cards are among our company, well, that would be reason enough for them to panic. Add on top of all our loyal friends an agreement with Wolves… well, they are probably making preparations against us as we speak. If they've known about this situation for a few months and waited until _now_ to act on this information, they must be making their plans very carefully indeed."

"What plans do you suppose they are making?" Carlisle asked.

"Again, our visitor isn't privy to that information, at least, not that I could hear from him. Our best bet is to come up with a plan to fortify our grounds before they return," Edward said. "Alice, call Jasper. Tell him to round up the Wolves on their lands. We will need to make preparations of our own as soon as possible."

I whipped the cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Jasper's number.

…

A/N: _Pahandus_ is Estonian for "mischief," which is definitely what this character represents.


	18. Announcement

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading, and a special thanks to each of you who review! Here's where the story begins to swerve around a bit… hope you're all ready!

-Stephanie

…

**BPOV**

"I just can't keep any of this a secret from my husband any longer," I said.

Alice, Rose and Esme were sitting with me on Edward's bed up in his room. All the guys had gone to the Wolves' lands just after Pahandus left. They were sure that he would be back with more vampires like him… ones that represented the Volturi. The girls were giving me a crash course on who Aro, Caius and Marcus were. The ancient clan sounded like they could be helpful on the one hand, but cruel and domineering to say the least on the other hand. They wanted to keep vampires a secret from humans, but they were willing to do anything necessary to keep a tight grip over other vampires. The thought of ever having to meet one of them freaked me out, and it was truly the last thing I would have ever desired.

"Telling him about the baby as soon as possible seems to me like a wonderful idea," Esme encouraged. "Especially… given these strange circumstances and all..."

She glanced around at Alice and Rose, both of whom also seemed to agree with her.

"I just _feel_ that something is… going… to…" Alice started, but her sentence broke off into the air as if she wasn't sure just how to finish it.

"Happen?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Alice confirmed. "Yes, I do feel that something is going to… _happen_. But I can't say what it might be. My visions are all blurred. When I see anything at all it's as if I'm looking through a steamed up window. It's like I can only sense the shadows on the other side, and nothing is specific. I can't even _hear_ what's going on in them. It's all muffled. It seems so…"

"Strange?" Esme asked.

"Exactly," Alice said, nodding her head very slowly, deep in thought.

"He will be home soon," I said. "I'm going to do it. Tonight," I insisted.

Esme handed me the sealed envelope that contained the letter I had written to Edward, congratulating him on is soon-being a father and telling him that I hoped he would be happy, given the circumstances and all.

I didn't _mean_ to keep this from him for so long, but I just didn't know how to bring it up. It wasn't exactly casual conversation or anything._ Hey, Edward, what did you get for number sixteen on the Calculus homework, and by the way, I'm preggers. See you at lunch!_ Yeah. Saving it for a Christmas gift seemed like a more special way to share this intimate gift. Nonetheless, I was getting antsy about it and couldn't bring myself to wait any longer. The 'embarrassed and in denial' phase was finally over, and the morning sickness was going to be striking soon. I had conceived the baby a month before we got married, which meant that I was going on four months now. I would probably begin to start showing any day now… but I was still a little in denial about _that part_. What would I look like with a baby bump? There would be no way to keep this little girl a secret from Charlie and from the community any longer once she started to grow large enough that she would stretch out my belly to have more comfortable living conditions.

"Are you afraid?" Rose asked with sweet concern.

"I _was_," I admitted. "But I'm not anymore. I've only known for a month, but it's been a lot to handle. How have you three been able to keep it from Edward anyway?"

"Well," Esme laughed, "You've heard the expression, '_walking_ on eggshells?'"

I nodded.

"Yes, well, we have had to be _thinking_ on eggshells. I won't pretend it's been easy," she smiled.

Alice and Rose laughed too.

"Still," Alice said, nudging me delicately, "It's all worth it! I just can't wait to see her cooing in her little crib. You know, your matching furniture ought to be here any time now. Since you're not saving Edward's gift for Christmas anymore, why don't we set up the crib? It can be your _subtle hint_ for when he gets back? Then we can set arrange your furniture in your little cottage and we can start talking about what to do for expansion... because we all know you'll be needing more than just one bedroom within five months!"

We all giggled and I agreed that we should set up the crib. I was surprised to hear that it had already been delivered two weeks ago.

"How is it that you've been able to hide this without any of the guys finding out?" I asked, referring to Jasper and Emmett, as well as Carlisle _before_ my sonogram earlier, and _of course,_ Edward.

"We hid it, silly," Alice said merrily as she guided us down the hall to Rose and Emmett's room.

"In my shoe closet," Rose snickered wickedly. "It's one of the few places that our guys _never_ look for anything." We entered Rose's main closet, and there was a door to another closet within. "Emmett looking in here would be about as likely as him looking through a box of tampons," she snickered. "Shoes and certain lady-items… two things that men in general just _don't _understand."

"Men," Alice scoffed with a smile, rolling her eyes.

We grabbed the baby gear out of the closet and took it downstairs.

Rose carried the box with the crib. Alice carried the tote with the bedding, gushing over it the whole way as we went to the living room to set up. Esme carried the mattress, still in its plastic wrap, and I carried the mobile. We set to work right away, and within half an hour everything was set up.

My heart sighed with delight as I took in the view of a perfect little bed in the center of the room. For a few moments, all of my concerns just _vanished_. I took the card and propped it up against one of the little pillows, for Edward to find and read when he got home. I truly wasn't afraid anymore. In fact, I was beginning to grow rather excited about him finally knowing! This was the perfect gesture for making the announcement of the baby…

I decided then that since I still had over an hour before we expected the guys to be home, I would have plenty of time to write Edward a little love letter to go along with the letter already stashed away in the card.

"I'll see you later," I told the girls, "I want to do something special for Edward before he gets back."

I ran up to his room and sat down at his desk. I pulled out a few sheets of stationary and a pen. I tapped it against my chin, trying to think how I might best describe my feelings to him, so that they would be completely known to him. No more secrets of any kind or of any degree. I wanted to announce to him and to the world how happy I was in that moment.

I tore up several sheets of 'attempted letters' before I finally found exactly what I wanted to say. As soon as I discovered the vein of emotion pulsing through my life that connected me to the man I loved by way of a baby girl, the words just flowed out and onto the paper. I was very pleased with myself as I folded it up and walked down the hall.

It was strange, then, going down the stairs. The TV wasn't on. There was no sound coming from the kitchen or the living room, or anywhere else actually.

"Alice?" I called out. "Rose?... Esme?"

No answer.

"Hey, are you guys still here?"

I began to worry because I could just feel that something was… _off_ about the situation.

"Hello?" I asked the house, but the only answer was the echo of my own voice ringing off the deserted walls.

Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder, spinning me around. It slid from my shoulder, down my arm and to my hand, where I held Edward's letter. It ripped it from my grasp and flicked it open.

"Didn't expect me, did you?" Pahandus laughed, scanning over the letter. "_You are the love of my life,_" he sneered, mocking my words to my husband, "How very touching, Isabella." He laughed again, "_I am so excited to share her with you,_" he said, becoming more serious now. "_There is no other man I would wish to be her father._"

I saw others with red eyes lurk forward, each tightly clutching one of my sisters. Another came from behind me and held me in a tight grip so that I couldn't escape.

"Be careful with her belly," Pahandus demanded. "I don't want to injure it. There is no doubt that Aro will want to study it."

"_Study_ it?" I cried, wondering what he meant by that, but my cry was in vain. The vampire behind me put his hand over my mouth, the way that Esme, Rose and Alice's captors held theirs.

We each struggled, but it was no use. The men's strength was too much for us to break.

"Indeed, _study_ it," Pahandus answered, circling the room, making his way ever-closer to my daughter's bed. "My, my… this is an interesting thing. It will make quite the announcement to my Masters. There is no doubt they will want to congratulate you in person, Isabella…"

I struggled even harder now, hoping to break the grasp of the one that bound me to my place.

"Hmm… what for a gift to celebrate this happy news you have to share? Hmm… I _may_ be able to cut you a deal that would be very valuable to you, Isabella _Cullen_. You see, you and your family have been less than honest with me when I questioned you earlier. I know all about the Wolves you hide from me. I know you are trying to protect them. And I know that you want to protect your family as well, do you not? And what of the Denali's? It would be a shame if they all had to _vanish_ because of your dishonesty, Isabella. Don't you agree? I had returned with the crew to simply destroy you all… but there is something inside of you that strangely grows… and Aro's curiosity would never be satiated if I were not to hand you over alive. So then, here's the trade."

He circled around me now, staring me straight in the eyes.

"None of yours need be harmed for your fraudulent, misleading lies, Isabella. Come with me willingly, and they need never suffer for _your _deception. This trade would give them a fresh start, and it would be as if they never did accomplice you or the mutts you harbor. After all, think on it! Why should so many perish because of the actions of a single being such as _yourself_? You wouldn't want so much blood on your hands, would you? How will you tell those you love that the reason they must suffer a long, exquisite end is because _you_ denied me forthright answers?"

He continued to stare me in the eyes as he tisked and then continued, "You might have spared them by merely being honest in the first place. I gather that is something you are not very good at though, huh?" he laughed. "You _might_ have even spared yourself by being straightforward about the wolves and about your pregnancy. Though, not even the father of this baby knows of its existence… which means he won't miss it much, since he never did know of her. You see… you must come with me to be _examined_. That is your end of the bargain, Isabella. If you do not come willingly, I will begin by having one of my comrades here snap the neck of Esme and toss her into hot flames. She will be followed by Alice… then by Rose… then by whoever else is next to walk in the door… followed by the next and then the next and then the next until all of your family and those who would avenge them are _dead_. After all, there are _many _of us and not so very many of them."

Fifteen more vampires dressed in black, all wearing the same suits and expressing their hazardous nature with their piercing red eyes full of disgust, surrounded us.

"Will you come with me _willingly_?" he asked me, smiling. Perhaps he already knew what my answer would be.

I collapsed then. I was only being held up by the arms that restrained me. I no longer had the ability to fight this, for I knew we didn't have the means to overcome this situation as it was.

I heard the muffled cries of the other women. I was sure they were screaming for me to not go. But what choice did I have? I couldn't allow my sisters to _die_ here and now.

I nodded my head.

"Good," Pahandus grinned. "Very, very good. Let us go now, then. No delay."

He folded my letter to Edward many times over before shredding it and scattering the strips on the floor. He, followed by the fifteen, escorted me out of the door. My binder carried me as we ran. We were soon met up with three more. All together, I was in the company of twenty evil members of the Volturi's Guard. Surely where we were headed would only have _more_ of them.

How would I ever get back to my family at this rate?

…

A/N: As for the evil Pahandus (and _evil_ he certainly _is_), how is it that Alice didn't see him coming or Edward didn't hear him planning this? Well, as Alice said of him last chapter he is "really talented at making second-by-second decisions," and "nothing was planned enough to allow [Alice] to have a vision of what might be ahead…" In other words, he is a rather tricky creature. He has a very twisted mentality, I'll tell you that much! We will get to see more of him a little later. As for the next chapter, what will the guys do when they find out about all of this? Brace yourself for action and excitement to come!

Also, if you would like to see pictures of the baby crib the girls set up before disaster struck, please visit the blog. Its address can be found on my author profile page, along with other yummy treats regarding the stories.

I hope none of you are too angry with the twist. Please remember, don't be angry with the author. I'm not the one who pretty much stole Bella. It was Pahandus. Be angry at _him_… I'm just the messenger, so to speak (*author shrugs and grins sheepishly*).

-Stephanie


	19. United

**EPOV**

"God fucking damn it!" I cried in exasperation.

I kicked the front door in and bolted to the living room where Esme, Rose and Alice were huddled together on the couch.

"Where did they take her?" I nearly screamed at them.

I didn't mean to make a shit-bag of a day for them any worse by losing it the way that I was. They had nothing to do with her being taken captive by some sick fucker. I just didn't know how the hell else to handle myself in this moment. I wasn't exactly known for being _calm_ when shit like this happened.

"Pahandus… twenty of them…" Esme stuttered in shock, no doubt.

"They held us back and took off with her," Rose snapped out viciously. "We didn't even have a chance to do anything about it!"

"And we never saw it coming!" Alice cried out, running her hands through her short hair, also in shock, no doubt.

I looked behind them and saw a piece of furniture that wasn't here before I had left.

I felt the ladies' eyes scanning over me and heard Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle and the Wolves enter the door behind me. I heard Jasper ask what the hell happened to the front door as I saw Esme thinking of a sealed envelope stacked against one of the pillows in the crib ahead of me. She was remembering the look on Bella's face when she placed it just-so in the little bed and smiled wide. Rose was remembering another paper being read and mocked by Pahandus before he took it and shredded it. She was remembering the horrified expression on Bella's face as the bits fell to the ground, as if in slow motion. The sound of a faint little heartbeat began to pound through my mind, and I spun around to see Carlisle remembering looking at a screen. He was remembering the expression of wonder in Bella's eyes as she saw something faintly begin to thrum into view on the monitor before disappearing, then reappearing, then disappearing again. The sound was so miniscule that it had barely been picked up by the latest technology used in ultrasounds. I heard Alice next, remembering a conversation that she and Bella had while Bella took a pregnancy test. She was remembering the shamed look on Bella's face as she took the test, and contrasted it to the small smile that any mother would have in the first moments of realizing that she cradled precious life between her hips. She was remembering the way Bella gently placed her left hand on her tummy as she held the test up with her right hand, seeing that it said 'Pregnant.'

"Did they know when they took her?" I asked quietly. "Did they know she was with child?"

I heard Rose remembering Pahandus saying that Aro would want to run tests on 'it.'

I screamed to the air above my head and picked up the couch, throwing it through the window ahead, followed by a chair, and then a table, and then a free-standing lamp… and then a myriad of other loose items. Almost everything from the living room had been cracked and tossed out the window… everything except for the crib that I vowed _will_ hold the baby of my wife and me.

"I'm going to get her," I snarled. "I'm going to Volterra."

"Not without a plan," Jasper said sharply.

His mind was still circling around. He was trying to figure out what was going on. It was still dawning on him that Bella was carrying a baby… that she was going to be a mother… that _I _was going to be a _father_!

"And not without us," Jacob said roughly. "If they take one of yours, it means they have taken one of us. We will go wherever we have to in the world to get her back."

"And the Denali's," said Carlisle, rushing to his phone to call them.

"And your friends," Esme pleaded, "The Twelve Princes and their Wild Cards! Can they not be of use to us now?"

"They can," I said, seizing a phone from Emmett. I had recently snapped mine in half and chucked it out the window.

I called the unlisted number that hadn't changed in decades, which I knew by heart.

"_Hello? Edward, friend… is that you?"_ Adalfieri answered.

"It is," I replied. "My family and I… we need a favor."

"_Anything my friend! Anything you need, just say the word. It is yours."_

"I need you to make good on a gift you gave us all too recently."

"_The Vow?_" he asked.

The long silence was all the reply he needed to understand.

The Denali's were the first to arrive. The Twelve Princes and their Wild Cards would be here within another hour.

"Edward!" Carmen exclaimed, running through the front doorway. None of us had bothered to put the doors back on their hinges… as if the damage _could_ be that simple to repair. "We have come to your aid. Simply tell us what must be done. We are willing to stand by you and your family; come what may!"

Eleazar, Garrett, Kate, Irena and Tanya followed in after her.

"That is true for all of us," Eleazar said, nodding his head.

I saw Tanya's eyes shift toward her sister, Irena, before she glanced around at the room.

"You've made quite the mess of your home, I see, Edward," she said.

What a stupid thing to have said at such a time! Who the _fuck_ gave a shit about the crap around us anyway? All we were focused on was dealing with having lost Bella, and she has to go and notice the broken glass and torn furniture. It could all be replaced within a day with a simple call and a credit card. Unfortunately, the things and the ones who matter the most… repairing losses to those most precious of reserves was not such a simple matter.

"You have all been through a lot, I can tell," Irena said. "I am _so _sorry to hear that these things have happened to you! I'm so, so sorry!"

"My sister is overwhelmed with grief for your unfortunate circumstance," Tanya said, grabbing her sister and escorting her out of the house. "I will see to it that she is comforted. She is very sensitive concerning things like this, you see."

With that, she pulled Irena along out to the woods beside the house.

"What shall we do?" Eleazar asked.

"We go to Volterra," Jasper said flatly. "There is no other way. Things like this will never stop unless we come together and storm their castle, so to speak. It is time these greedy, shit-headed aristocrats meet the guillotine."

"I'm afraid this is true," Carlisle agreed. "If a clan comes together, they have the right to make decisions among themselves. We have broken no law. Bella's change may have been different than the standard norm, but she belongs to this family and we have the right to keep her with us, along with whatever she carries within her."

"Whatever she carries within her…" Alice mumbled. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Emmett asked.

"This is not the first time someone like Bella has existed!" Alice said triumphantly. "If they fear Bella or believe her to be disadvantageous because of _what_ she is… how she's _mixed_… we can show that there is at least one other like her."

"How are you going to show them that?" Jacob asked. "No one knows where they can be found."

"What are you two talking about?" Jasper asked.

"Jacob mixed his blood with Bella's, knowing it would keep her blood pumping and her body warm because he heard a legend of a woman whose father mixed his blood with her so that she couldn't be changed to become the way the man that she loved was. He was a vampire… she was a human mixed with the blood of Wolves! She is the same as Bella! How does her tale end, Jacob?" Alice asked.

"Well… it ends with the two of them living happily ever after. She bore him children, but no one knows where they are today," he replied.

"That's not to say they couldn't be _found_," Alice argued. "Should our plan of warfare turn badly, we should have a way prepared to demonstrate that Bella is no danger and that the Wolves are no threat to vampires who do not take human life, such as we are. We can demonstrate to them that there are benefits to having treaties with them, as will be displayed when we go to retrieve Bella. I think the Volturi's eyes merely need to be opened to the idea of multicultural diversity, if you will. There are more advantages to getting along than there are to destroying everything you don't understand."

She pulled out her phone and began calling the girlfriends of the wolves, rounding them up for researching what may have happened to the 'lost lady,' as she began to call her. She was bound and determined to find the princess from long ago whose circumstance was Bella's own. The rest of us crowded around the formal dining table we used for family meetings. Jasper was our strategist. He had devised a systematic way to storm the Volturi's castle walls implementing the talents of each of us. As expected, within the hour, the Twelve Princes and the Wild Cards showed up. We all crowded into the dining room, which seemed to shrink in size by the time we were all _united_.

Esme and Rose dashed to the office to reserve tickets to Italy.

"Our flight leaves tonight," Rose announced over the hustle and bustle. "It will take nearly half a day simply to travel. That is, of course, assuming that everything runs smoothly according to schedule."

'Smoothly' and 'according to schedule' were the last two things I was banking on in the stress of this moment. I had the ache to pick up more furniture and toss it out another glass window, but I decided instead to hold that anger in and reserve it for those to whom it really ought to have been aimed at.

Anyone who would be as vicious as to steal my wife away from me… and to steal my unborn child away from me… was sure to be snapped and burned. Of this, I would swear my life upon.

…

A/N: I think it might help calm some nerves if I announce that Bella will be safe and sound with her family in ten chapters or less.... Additionally, let's not forget that the main villain in this tale is Tanya. She is the one who is going to get her ass handed to her in the end... Pahandus too, probably... well... definitely. He is quite the twisted thing. We will get to see just how much very soon!

As always, have fun reading!

Stephanie


	20. Off

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to imwithemmett. I hope you have had a very special day of being celebrated! Happy, happy birthday to you! ;)

-Stephanie

…

**EPOV**

"_Something is _off_. More than we are aware," _Samantha thought to me.

She was sitting one row ahead of me on the plane to Italy. I was pretending to doze off, as many of us were, so that we wouldn't be conspicuous. It wasn't _normal_ for humans to stay completely alert all the time, nor completely still like a statue, and as long as we were around so many of them it was imperative that we act like them. Most of the humans were nervous enough as it was, being so high in the air in a contraption which if plummeted to the ocean, _they_ would surely never survive. We didn't want to risk creeping them out even more by being so… _unhuman_, I guess one could call it. Some of us would even go so far as to walk back to the tiny little restrooms and act like Nature was calling. Others of us would pretend to yawn and stretch now and then.

All together there were thirty to our party: there were the Twelve Princes and their two Wild Cards; Eleazar, Carmen, Kate, Garrett, the slut-bag Tanya and mopy-pants Irena made six Denali's; Jake, Embry, Quil and Seth added four for the Wolves. When adding myself, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose and Jasper, that made thirty of us in sum.

Alice stayed back in Forks with Jen, Angela, Kathy, Kari and Leah Clearwater. She was convinced that she would be able to find the Lost Lady if she desired to enough. She was also positive that she was having visions of her, her husband and their children. The only problem she felt she was having was knowing how to get a hold of the woman. It seemed she had taken a new name after leaving her tribe and her lands forever.

"Off?" I whispered very lowly to Samantha in reply, trying to not make it sound completely like a question. It was also supposed to be a demand because Tanya was sitting on the right side of me, putting her hand over mine as if to console me. I knew better than _that_ despicable maneuver. She had no intention of giving a damn about how I felt in this moment. If she did, she would keep her hands off of me and respect the fact that I am a _married _man and she is a horny whore!

"_Yes,"_ Samantha thought with worry. _"I can tell that there is. Both Natalie and I can sense it. We just have to find a way to get some quality alone time with either of them… then we can _beat_ it out of them if we have to. I'm telling you, Edward, these girls are bad news. There is something about them that we just can't put our finger on right yet…"_

I was trying to focus on what she and Natalie were thinking about, but Tanya was practically drowning them out with the volume of her own thoughts. She pretended not to hear me say 'off' and kept her hand on mine. I snatched my hand away and gave it a shake, as if by doing so her bitch-germs would somehow fall off of it.

"_Poor, poor Edward,"_ she groaned internally. _"I only wish there was something I could do for him…"_

Her words seemed too scripted to be genuine. They were also too loud to be truly sincere. After all, when people really do feel badly for you, they don't make sure you can hear their sympathy. This all seemed very… _staged_. I wondered what was _really_ going on in that shallow mind of hers as I heard Jasper's thoughts ring out from the row behind me. He was suddenly overpowered by guilt and anguish, and it alarmed me. What did he have to feel so ashamed for? I realized that it wasn't _him_ who was feeling this way, but the girl sitting to his right… _Irena_. I tried to scan her thoughts, but she kept them deeply hidden away. Every once in awhile I could manage to pick something out, but it was never a complete thought:

"_They will never forgive me for…"_

"…_can't think of how to say it…"_

"…_wish I never existed at all, especially now that…"_

"…_after all that I've done! I didn't know… I didn't know when I told them…"_

Although I was curious about why she was so distraught and even though I wanted to wait around to hear a complete sentence come out of Irena's mind, I couldn't manage to stay in the damn place. It was too cantankerous and depressing, and I was upset enough as it was. I didn't desire to add to my own personal devastation by chaining my attention to her own lake of mental fire and brimstone.

I browsed around for cheerier thoughts, and stopped when I heard Emmett's on the other side of the plane. He was watching episodes of _Flight of the Conchords_ on his ipod. I listened along. All the jokes were magnified when hearing them through _his_ mind. I chuckled to myself. Sometimes that guy was six years old in his freaking brain! He was entertaining at least, and although I appreciated that this situation stressed him out, I was grateful to have his thoughts to listen in on as he tried to escape our grim reality for a little bit.

My attention swerved again when I heard Rose's thoughts. She was putting on a brave face, as ever, though inside she was panicking and was convinced that if anything happened to the baby that she would be the one to blame. Although that was simply not the truth, she would definitely blame herself for as long as she existed. Her kindly sorrow was truly something to be pitied. Not many people knew how tender Rose could be. Sure, she had her thorns, as all roses do. Yet, she was a lovely creature who contained such a great capacity to love and nurture. She saw the responsibility of a baby being introduced into this family as much her own as it would be Bella's and mine. She longed to be an aunt… to hold and smile at a new little soul. Yes, her thorns were sharp, but every petal of her heart was as tender and temperate as lamb's wool. I smiled at her softness, though I ached along with her as she worried for the safety of my wife and child. Unlike Tanya, _her_ worry and love was authentic.

I had an idea just then!

I knew that if Samantha and Natalie could just get Tanya or Irena alone for even just a moment, maybe they would be able to discover what exactly was _off_ about this situation. I was sure that I felt the strangeness too, even though I was deeply influenced by the thoughts of Samantha and Natalie and by the feelings of Jasper and the elusiveness of Irena. Regardless of being able to detect all that, though, I still knew that deep below all of those things, there was still something very curious about… well… I couldn't even manage to think of what it was that was so atypical and irregular, and yet, I knew that there just was something off-putting…

I pulled out my phone and texted Jasper. I caught his thoughts as he received it.

"_Tell Irena it's her turn to use the bathroom or stretch her legs. People will get suspicious if she continues to just sit there as if she were carved of stone."_

"It's your turn to move around a bit," he said, nudging her. "You're being too still. Go to the bathroom or something."

She was taken off guard by his statement, but decided it would be best to simply comply.

"_Stretching my legs is the least of my worries, after all that I'm in for if they find out," _she thought quietly as she moved passed Jasper, Carlisle and Esme and walked to the back of the plane.

"Don't girls usually go in herds?" I pretended to laugh as I nudged the back of Samantha's seat.

"You know what, Edward? You're right," she snickered.

"Yes. A little girl time and some nice 'stretching of the legs' ought to do us a great deal of good," Natalie said, standing up.

Samantha tossed me a wink as she and Natalie made their way after Irena.

I heard Irena panic as she realized that she was being trailed by the Wild Cards. She picked up her pace a little as she continued her way back, no longer dragging her feet as she had been. She opened the door to the little restroom, but it was slammed closed by Natalie's hand before she could enter.

"Hey there blondie," Natalie said, keeping her palm firmly planted against the door.

Samantha, who was so sweet and refined, turned tough in stature as she blocked Irena against the door from behind her. Irena was boxed in by the closed door, a wall, and two sly, wild women.

"Hi," Irena murmured, not raising her head to meet the stares of the two ganging up on her.

"Irena here sure seems like a really nice girl," Natalie said conversationally to Samantha.

"She sure does, Natalie. Oh, but you know what though?"

"What is it, Samantha?" she replied as if there were something obvious to be concerned about all of a sudden.

"Well, it feels like our little Irena here is keeping something from the rest of us."

"Really?" Natalie asked. "Is that true, Irena? Is there something you feel the need to… conceal from us? Something that might be related to Bella?"

"No," Irena said a little too quickly, and a little too loudly.

"If she says there's nothing to hide, Samantha, then I guess it's just something wrong with _us_ then, huh?"

"Maybe, Natalie. _Maybe_. I don't know though. I mean, I _trust_ our little friend here. But something doesn't really… _feel right_; do you know what I mean? Not that I think she would actually go so far as to _lie_ to us, you know? After all, she must have heard of the terrible things we do to people who _lie_ to us. She wouldn't want to go landing in their cement shoes, would she?"

"That's probably true, Samantha. That is_ true_, isn't it Irena? You've _heard_ of the people we _off_? The ones who lie to us?"

Irena's mind was scattered. Indeed, she had heard terrible tales of people who mess around with the Twelve Princes. Their Wild Cards were known for exacting vengeance; however, no one really knew _how_ they did it. No one ever witness the destruction of those they 'wiped out,' as they would put it, and anyone who ever did see their brand of wrath, of course, never lived to tell about it.

"I… I…" Irena stuttered.

"Like, maybe you've heard of Curtis. You remember Curtis, Sam?"

"Isn't he the one whose fingers we shoved down his neck and burned while we made his ugly face watch?"

"No, no. You're thinking of Danny. He's the one who was hiding that big secret? Remember him? Remember how we would have been able to show him some mercy, if he was only upfront about what it was he was up to?"

"Oh, yeah… _Danny_. You know, I'm not very good with names sometimes. Natalie here is always really good with remembering names," she chuckled to Irena, who tried to feign a smile back. "But I'll always remember his face, though. Before _and_ after what we did to him," she said more seriously now, and Irena was trying to figure out if she should pretend to laugh at what might have been a joke or squeal on something she swore to secrecy between her and Tanya. "Sorry, Nat. What was it you were going to say about Curtis?"

"Well, I'm sure you'd remember _his_ face for sure, if you remember Danny's," Natalie smiled. She let out a long, strange and wicked laugh and Samantha joined her. Irena just stood in silence, dreading what she might hear about another guy the Wild Cards took out. "I'll never forget the look in his eyes," she continued to laugh.

"Yeah," Samantha laughed along in tandem, "But his eyes weren't quite the same, expression-wise, after we cut 'em out of his face." They continued to laugh savagely.

"Awe, his cut up eyeballs were really the least of that one's problems," Natalie shrugged as the laughter began to die down somewhat. "What was it we were talking about again, Sam?"

"Uh, I can't quite recall. What was it we were talking about, Irena?"

Irena froze, unsure of what she should say.

"I… I… can't remember either," she shrugged, trying to laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" Natalie asked.

"Nothing," Irena said, lowering her eyes to her feet.

"I didn't think so. You know, speaking of eyes and all, you got some real pretty ones there, Irena. The Princes and us two, we have to wear these contacts while we're on the plane and all, you know what I mean? But not _you_. You seem to be making some pretty straight and narrow choices with your life. I like that about you. Don't you like that about her, Sam?"

"Yeah, Nat. I like that a lot about her. It takes a lot of character to do the right things in life. And you're right that she does have some real pretty eyes. I'd hate to see anything happen to such pretty eyes, you know what I mean?"

Just then, Irena sucked in a sharp breath. She was terrified by Natalie and Samantha. She looked between the two of them as they smiled evilly at her. All of a sudden, her mind flashed back to an image of Aro touching her hand, and seeing for himself a conversation that had taken place between her and Tanya. I heard her remember how Tanya convinced her that the Wolves were evil and how it was wrong to keep secrets from the Volturi about them. After all, even a little white lie to cover the tracks of us or of the Wolves could still land her own family in a world of hurt if the authorities ever found out about their knowledge of an alliance between my clan and the Wolves. And, Tanya had convinced her, it was never okay to tell even little white lies… at least, that is what she had said when the two of them were much younger. _But then_, she thought, _I'm telling little white lies even now by not being straightforward with the Cullens, with my own family and with these two women. Where is the line drawn between what is kept a secret? Where is the line drawn between who gets to know and who doesn't?_ She was breaking down mentally and not sure of what was right and what was wrong anymore. Apparently, she had decided that others making her decisions for her would be the best route, but where was Tanya to tell her what to do and what to think now?

"Got it," I said, knowing that Samantha and Natalie would understand.

"Got what?" Tanya asked.

She rested her hand on mine again, regurgitating the same loop of self-righteous pretend-worry she had been spewing at me since she arrived in the home of my family earlier today. Her wide, _innocent_ eyes were staring up at me, and it took all the strength I could muster to not take her head between my palms and crack her skull against the window of the plane, then toss her into one of the engines on the wing. I simply snatched my hand away from hers again and gave it a shake.

…

A/N: Again, let's give a round of applause to our cameo guest stars, Natalie and Samantha… aka MafiaBitches! ;)

Additionally, thank you so much to all of you who review! Your reviews are the fuel that keeps this story aflame! Thank you so much for the time you take to read!

Off: (1) in error; wrong; slightly abnormal; less than the ordinary activity; (2) to take away or remove from a previous location; (3) _slang_. to kill; slay


	21. A Tuscan Vision

**APOV**

"I don't know that I really would _want_ to live forever," Jen said seriously, "But on the other hand, I mean, there are definitely benefits, I suppose."

The Wolf-girls, Angela and I had been dumping our best effort into finding the Lost Lady all night, and they were going to need to get some sleep soon. We had been able to discover very little about the princess who was mixed with her father's blood and then bitten by her true love, but we did start up a very interesting conversation.

"Embry has told me beautiful legends about what the tribe believes about the afterlife," Kathy said with a delightful sigh. "And at the rate things are going, I think _all_ of the legends may turn out to be true. That being the case, I would rather grow old and die alongside my love and go _there_ someday than live forever in my youth but never leave this world."

"I agree," Kari said, nodding her head.

"I know for sure that's what I would rather do, with or without a guy," Leah snickered. "And can I really imagine myself not being with my family forever? I mean, is staying here and staying young really _worth_ losing out on a wonderful forever in green fields and blue skies with those who came before me and those who will come after? Besides, I know that no matter how wrinkly and crusty I get someday, when I go to that paradise I won't be old anymore. I'll be… just right."

Angela gave Jen a meaningful look and Jen looked around, then cleared her throat.

"Jake offered, once, to mix his blood with mine the way he did with Bella. He said that if I wanted to stay here forever, then he would stay by my side. He will never grow old as long as he phases. But as soon as I start to age, that is, one day in just a matter of a decade or so, he won't _want_ to phase anymore. Naturally, because he's imprinted on me, he'll want to settle down and grow old with me. He's told me all about the _paradise_ and he's made the offer to keep me youthful eternally."

"What have you decided?" I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I _haven't_ decided yet. I know that Billy knows about Jake's offer, though. I know he'd be so angry if I chose to stay young forever. I heard the two of them fighting about it when they thought I was sleeping on the couch. They were whispering, but it was really intense, and I heard _everything_. Billy threatened to disown his son based on a choice that _I_ would ultimately be the one to make. I don't know if he really means all the stuff he said though. After all, I know he's really angry about a lot of things these days, first and foremost: the treaty's alterations. But Billy was so angry at him for even offering me the choice to make. I mean, it's not something I know if I want or not. I guess I have some time to think it over though, huh?"

"Well, Jen, _if_ you do decide to stick around on this old rock, just know that you and Jake are _always_ welcome to hang around with us. I know we're _supposed_ to be arch-nemeses, but we all love you."

"Thanks," she blushed. "I'll keep that in mind, and add it to the 'pros' list."

A few more hours went by and we only found a few more leads, probably all of which would only lead to dead ends. However, there was always the small chance that _just one of them_ would lead us to the Indian Princess. We had discovered that her first name was Mishawaka. However, that was her given name. She had changed it at some point, and that's where the trail kept running dry.

"I'll keep looking. You five should probably get some rest. Feel free to find a bed and take it for the night. No one will be home for quite awhile," I offered.

Jen, Angela, Kathy, Kari and Leah all found beds that had pretty much _never _been slept in. Only Edward's bed ever had, and that was by Bella. I heard them all begin to drift off to sleep as their breathing became more even. Leah even let out a few snores here and there, but I just chalked that all up to her being a stinky werewolf, and I snickered at that. It was amazing to me that I could love someone that I was supposed to hate so much as if she really were a sister.

I thumbed through the various scrawls on the loose-leaf papers we had taken our notes on. I kept looking at each piece in different ways, trying to link the chain. I just _knew_ that we had all that we needed to find her… I just had to look harder… or look better to actually succeed in finding her.

Just then, the familiar scene of the formal dining room disappeared and I saw myself in an airport. I looked around and noticed that most signs were in Italian.

They were there! Or, at least, they were going to be very soon.

I watched as my family, the Denali's, the Twelve Princes and the Wild Cards all exited the plane. I watched as they got into rental cars and drove outside of the main city, heading toward the hills of Tuscany. I watched as one of the cars swerved to the side of the road. It was the first car in the line, and the rest followed suit. I saw Edward hop out of the driver's side and slam the door. He rushed over to the passenger side and pulled a strawberry blond head out by the roots of her hair. He swung her around and knocked her into the side of the rental car, denting it. Well, _denting it_ didn't even begin to describe the shocking amount of damage done to the car.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kate cried as she hopped out of one of the cars further back.

"Edward?" Esme yelped helplessly.

"You filthy, slimy _cunt_!" Edward screeched at Tanya as he gripped her by her throat.

I heard her larynx crack as he pushed her against the giant dent in the car. She slid down to the ground and he straddled her. He gripped each hand on each of her shoulders and was banging her head against the pavement. Her legs were kicking and she grabbed his wrists with her hands, but she couldn't manage to get him to stop. He kept crashing her head against the road over and over and over.

"You would send my wife to the slaughter, would you? You god-damned, shit-faced, cheap fuck of a _whore_!" The volume of his yelling these things paled in comparison to how creepy what he said next was. Maybe it was the contrast in the _way_ he said it. He leaned in really close to her ear, and seethed the words. They _sounded_ the way a needle injecting poison into a convict on death row _looked_. "You have never known _pain_, Tanya. I am going to show you what wrath can be…"

Samantha and Natalie ran up behind him, standing with their arms crossed, looking down at Edward as he straddled Tanya, gripping her neck.

Tanya choked something out, but the sounds were not quite forming the words just right. Her voice box had been cracked open, no doubt, and it would take a moment for it to repair itself. Edward loosened his grip around her neck just enough to let her broken guttural noises through.

It sounded like she said, "Deserved it."

"Who deserved what?" Edward spat the words out.

"Both of you… you and your little halfie-whore… you both deserve this. She is a disgrace, Edward. She is not purely a vampire," she continued to choke out fragments of words at a time. She was starting to smile, and between the eerie way she sounded and the haunting, twisted way she looked, it was as if she really were a demon from the deepest pits of hell. "You are an embarrassment to our kind, Edward… and that you would choose _her_ over _me_! Over _me_, god damn it! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Wrong?" Edward asked, "_Wrong?_ Jesus Christ, Tanya! Brace yourself, because I'm about to show you all sorts of _wrong_!"

He gripped her throat tighter again and began crushing away the sounds she was trying to let out. The Denali's and my family were circled around them and the beat up car, in shock at what they were witnessing.

Tanya began to rattle her voice again, and the way she sounded was the stereotypical way anyone _would_ sound when they were being choked like that.

He didn't loosen his grip this time, but she managed to get her words out anyway. "Fuck… you… and… fuck… your filthy… halfie… kid. I… hope… Bella… is… mur… dered… while… still… carrying… what… ever… the… hell… is… in her."

Carmen fell to her knees and pressed her hands to her eyes, as if she was going to sob. Eleazar knelt down beside Carmen and hugged her, attempting to comfort his wife, though he was so terribly distraught himself. Kate turned away in disgust, no longer able to look on at the girl she had once admired as her beautiful sister. Irena was still sitting in her seat in one of the cars further back. She hadn't bothered to get out. She just stared out in the opposite direction, toward the rolling hills.

"How?" Garrett asked Tanya. "How could you have done it? How could you have gone to the Volturi about Bella?"

"I didn't," she choked out with much effort, and she smiled all twistedly again.

Edward gripped her neck even harder now. "Don't fucking lie to me, Tanya!"

Her smile grew and so did the hate in her eyes. It actually seemed as if she were enjoying this, regardless of her throat having been collapsed. Surely, she must have been in sore pain, though it seemed as if she felt nothing at all other than joy in that moment. The creepy sounds grew in volume as she began to laugh through broken pipes.

"Irena," she laughed.

"Irena?" Garrett asked. "What about her?"

Irena sank low in her seat, still looking the other way but knowing she wouldn't be able to for long.

Tanya's laughter continued, and she seemed as if she truly couldn't stop making the noises. I was absolutely sure, now, that she really was enjoying herself.

"_What_ about her, Tanya?" Kate asked. "What about Irena?"

Edward kept one hand tight on Tanya's neck so that she was still pinned to the pavement and he raised his other hand high and slapped her across the face. "Tell us!" he yelled, but her laughter only grew louder and her eyes only more… _happy_?

"Irena," Natalie called in the direction of the car she was in.

Irena sighed the way someone does when they know they must face a hard task. She stepped out of the car and closed the door very delicately. She walked very slowly, seeming to be stalling or something. It was over a minute before she traveled the short distance of three car lengths to join her family next to Edward, Tanya and the dented car.

"Yes?" she said. "I am here."

"Tanya seems to have made an accusation about you, my dear," Samantha said very kindly, though there was danger in her tone as well. "Would you like to guess at what it might be?"

"I already know what she would say of me," she said, looking down at her toes. "And she is right. I did it. _I_ was the one who went to the Volturi. But it wasn't because of Bella. It was because of… _them_," she admitted, glancing toward Jake, Quil, Embry and Seth.

"What _about _us?" Jake asked.

"Tanya brought up the point that the Volturi had exterminated the werewolves in Europe. That is the only place they were ever known to be. If they had known about there being ones in America, they would have gone there too, and destroyed _you_ too. Our mother was destroyed by the Volturi for doing things she shouldn't have been doing. The only reason my sisters and I were spared was because we truly didn't know a thing about it. If we had, we would have been guilty by association."

"What does your mother have anything to do with them?" Eleazar asked.

"If… I mean, _when_ the Volturi found out about them someday, they would also find out that we knew about them and the treaty they made with the Cullens. We would be guilty by association. We all risk our lives just being around the Cullens, father."

"Don't," Eleazar said, taking a step back. "Don't call me by that title."

Irena let out a small gasp and her face portrayed a broken heart. "Please," she said, taking a step toward him, "You don't understand! I did this to _save_ us! I did the _right_ thing!"

"How was that the right thing, Irena?" Carmen asked, in a tone that went from sobbing to pissed in a fraction of a second. "How is it that by throwing these poor boys to the sharks, along with all of us in the process, you did the _right_ thing? The Volturi have only one law, and that is that we remain inconspicuous. We are following that one law. They have no right to interfere with our personal affairs. If we choose to make friends with creatures they would consider _less than_, that is none of their business."

"The Volturi are corrupt and abuse their authority," Jasper shouted. He moved through the crowd of friends and family to the front, addressing everyone. "That is something that _has_ to stop. It can stop _today_, if we are willing to put in the work to make it happen."

"We have a plan," Adalfieri announced. "Together, we can put the Volturi in their place and see to it that Bella, along with everyone else, returns home safely."

Edward looked toward Jasper and Adalfieri to listen for but a second… a very short time that Tanya used to her advantage. She kicked his arms away and elbowed his face, knocking him backward. Several of the others tried to grab at her before she could get away, but none were successful. Everyone began to scatter and look around, but by doing so, they were only making it easier for her to be overlooked as she swept through the large group. By the time everyone figured out what was going on, Tanya was spotted running back the way from which they had come.

It was decided that if they went after her, they would lose the precious time they needed to get to Bella. No one could be allowed to be spared to run after her because all would be needed to pull off the dangerous mission ahead of them. Everyone hopped back in the cars and kept driving toward Volterra. The last face I saw was Edward's, and it was hot with rage. There was no doubt in my mind that he would hunt her down and earn his vengeance.

The Tuscan scene disappeared and I was standing back over the formal dining table with a stack of loose papers in my hand.

"Everything alright in here?" came a voice from the door.

I looked up to see Leah's head poking in.

"Yes," I said, placing the papers on the table.

As I set the papers down, they just sort of scattered in such a way that could never have been planned. I looked at the notes and ideas began fluttering through my mind. I could see us getting closer and closer now, and all the dead ends began eliminating themselves as I merely thought of taking one path or another. Within half a moment, I had managed to employ Fate and my visions to narrow down one remaining path…

"I think I may have found something," I said excitedly. "I think I know where our Lost Lady is!"

…

A/N: I know, I know… Tanya got away. I promise you, she WILL die by the end of this story, which will be pretty soon, actually. I still need her to do one last terrible thing before I can write her horrific and satisfying end.

Until next time,

Stephanie


	22. Pahandus' Wicked Proposition

**BPOV**

I sat in a spacious room on what would have been a comfortable sofa if I were not stressed out and scared shitless, not to mention incredibly pissed off. I was waiting to be "admitted" to see the Volturi. It was at this exact point that I began wishing I had done things differently. _Why_ hadn't I just admitted all of this when I had the chance? Why was I so stubborn and hell-bent on keeping this little beating heart a secret, even after Edward and I had agreed to always be upfront about everything? My regret overwhelmed me as I rolled around in my own self-pity. I buried my face in my hands as I reminded myself that I only felt this way because I deserved to.

_Stupid Bella Cullen. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! If I could just go back to yesterday morning, I swear I would tell him everything! I swear I would if I only could. But now I am stuck here on the other side of the world in a room that smells like my grandma's old perfume. _

That was definitely another thing that was going downhill for me thanks to the pregnancy- I could smell _everything_ now. Strange things were happening to my body that had never happened before; however, I had never been pregnant before. Somehow, the reality that I was carrying a baby was still sinking in as I sniffed the air around me. I thought that my senses had increased when Jake mixed his blood with mine and when Edward's venom altered my body, but it was _nothing_ compared to now! I was shocked by the change and began to worry, wondering if things could possibly get any worse than the situation I was currently in. Well, I guess I would find out in a matter of minutes how deep the load of shit I was in really was when I would finally be carted in and "observed" by three weird, ancient creeps who thought they owned the world of all things supernatural.

I tried to focus on anything other than the ways that this could get worse as terrible possible circumstance after terrible possible circumstance flooded my mind: _I'll just think on the pregnancy a bit more_, I thought as I rubbed the hidden baby bump that was beginning to form, yet not quite beginning to show. I'm_ sure it's natural for every woman's first pregnancy to be full of surprises, including a super sense of smell. I just wish they made a "What to Expect When You're Expecting a Baby That is Mixed Between a Woman with a Dash of Werewolf Blood and a Ton of Vampire Venom and a Man Who Has Been Dead for Nearly a Century: second edition," or something like that. But when you're one of a kind there just aren't a lot of options, I guess…_

"Bella," came the voice of the noxious serpent, Pahandus, pulling me from my sarcastic reverie, "They are ready to see you now."

I gulped hard and felt sad as my sarcastic thoughts that had protected me from my fears melted into a nearly painful terror. I stood from the couch where I sat and the mere act of standing made my head spin. I paused for a brief moment, wondering if I might actually fall down.

"Hurry it up," Pahandus snapped at me, as if to suggest that walking into the enemy-lair should be an easy task for a woman who was just stolen away from her family and who is in her second trimester of pregnancy.

He held a door open for me and motioned for me to enter before him. I squinted at him as I passed him, knocking my elbow into him as I went. He just laughed a little and pulled the door shut behind us. His snide reaction just made me want to punch his man-bits with as much force as I could manage, which felt as if it would have been quite a lot in that particular moment, but I was afraid of the consequences that might follow as I looked ahead of us. There were three unknown figures sitting upon three thrones surrounded by an entourage of other strangers in black robes.

"Please, come to us, my dear," the one in the middle happily laughed. I had no trouble in recognizing that this was Aro. He seemed everything that Alice, Rose and Esme had described, given the brief amount of time they had to sum him up. "I have to admit," he stood from his throne and began walking toward me, "That I have been quite thrilled at the prospect of meeting _you_, Isabella Marie Swan."

"Bella _Cullen_," I corrected him shamelessly.

"Yes," Pahandus affirmed, "There has been a name-change since we were alerted of the presence of the Wolves." I rolled my eyes at Pahandus and sighed in frustration. I noticed that he didn't act so tough and in charge now that he was sniveling before these three enthroned figures.

"Please, _Bella_," Aro said, seeming to savor each syllable of my name as it oozed out of his filthy mouth, "Won't you sit down?"

He motioned to his own throne then clapped his hands together twice. Two of the robed ones came forth from the crowd and escorted me to the cushioned chair. I struggled to free my arms from their grip, but it was in vain. The fear throughout my body grew ever stronger as I realized that I couldn't break free from these two. If I couldn't break free from just them, how was I going to hope to escape from so very many? There must have been forty of them in just this room alone. I wondered if there were very many more in the corridors and the surrounding area. My instinct told me yes, and any hope I clung to of seeing Edward again began to diminish.

"Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella," Aro hummed gleefully as I felt my lips frown in sorrow. He was looking above us to the large domed ceiling as his voice echoed throughout it. He was smiling strangely, and so were his eyes. He actually seemed _giddy_ as he paced around with his arms out wide. "I have waited for this day for what seems like an eternity. You see, for three months I have been aware of you. Those three months seem longer than a thousand years. They _would have _seemed longer than _three_ thousand years, had I but known… Oh, do forgive me, for you see, I was not expecting what we discovered to have come about so soon! I've heard _rumors_ that you would be able to bear children, though I had not suspected that this grand circumstance would have already taken place, if at all actually! I would not have believed your condition if I was not looking at you with my own two eyes. And yet, _still_ I might not believe it. I hear nothing at all…" He crept toward me very slowly, arching his body forward slightly and moving his ear toward where I carried Edward's daughter. He was trying to detect the sound of her little heart. He strained in his attempt.

"Forgive me, Sire," Pahandus bowed low to the ground as he spoke, "But you must listen very, very carefully. I admit that I also missed the heartbeat at first, for it is so very, very faint. In fact, it was not until I read a letter that she wrote to Edward Cullen, admitting that she was pregnant with his child that I even _began_ to suspect that she carries a child in her."

"Give me your hand," Aro demanded of Pahandus, who immediately obeyed. Aro closed his eyes and sucked in a long breath as he scanned through Pahandus' memories. "Ah-ha!" he laughed, snapping his eyes open and smiling. "It _is_ true, then!"

"It cannot be kept," came a low tone of warning from a vampire with long blond hair and red eyes. His fingertips were grinding into the ends of the armrests of his cushioned throne. "We have the evidence we require, Aro! The Cullen Clan is a danger to us. It is official!"

"Hush, hush Caius!" Aro barked at him.

"Our brother speaks the truth!" said the last of the three enthroned vampires. "They begin to outnumber us, and now with her as a weapon, it will only be a matter of _time_ before they attempt to overpower us. How often may they add to their count? Perhaps annually? If that be the case then every year it is as if we are one less in count against the army they will build."

"Army?" I asked. "An _army?_ You are paranoid because you believe that my family is building an _army_? We have no interest in such a stupid idea!" I couldn't hold my anger in any longer. I felt heat flow through my body as I realized that I had to be dragged through all of this simply because they believed that the Cullens had some crazy scheme plotted out against them. "This is absolutely ridiculous! If this is what this is all about then we can put this matter to rest pretty damn fast. If you had half a brain you would see that my family has no interest in taking over anything, including whatever little operation you have going on around here," I ridiculed. "You can let me go home now because your paranoia is nothing more than fantasy."

"Why _else_ would they have you around?" Caius scoffed. "Other than what meager sexual services you provide your husband, how much can you be worth to them? Edward may have a disgusting fetish… being with someone who is not like _us_… being with someone who is mixed with _beasts_. Yet, why would Carlisle tolerate you in his home if not to utilize your offspring? I'm sure you are aware of your husband's exceeding talents? They must wish to produce more of his kind in likeness so that they may overthrow us. They know we covet Edward's ability. Perhaps they hope to have _two_ fantastic abilities at their disposal? And who is to say they will stop with two mind-readers? If you live forever then they may have endless soldiers at their disposal over the course of time."

"Your offspring is an interesting subject in its own right," Marcus grumbled. "What will they _be_ anyhow? Will they be wolves? Will they be vampires? Will they be merely mortal or something that lives an eternal duration? There are simply too many questions and not enough answers with all of this. In my opinion, Aro, for what it's worth, you know I believe we must destroy her and the child. If we suffer them to live then we invite our own demise to enter our front gates. No one, not even Carlisle or Edward, can truly say what Bella's children will be. This has never been done before, and with all of the complicated consequences, why allow it to happen in the first place?"

"Do not allow your curiosity to outweigh your more logical faculties, brother," Caius addressed Aro sharply. "In the past, your soft heart has wreaked havoc upon the world. Remember; will you not, those terrible wretches? The foul little beasts you kept that were bitten at far too young an age? Remember how your being curious of them led to near exposure for the rest of us? That is why Irena came to us; was it not? She knew all too well how such curiosity pans out. Her own mother necessitated her own destruction by it. I must take a defensive stand on behalf of our entire kind when I counsel you to not be tempted to 'wait and see,' as you sometimes do. The Denali girl was quick to point out that the Cullen's might try to overrun us all one day."

I felt sick as I heard Irena's name brought up. It was _her_? She was the one who made accusations against me and my family, and her own family in the process when she turned me in? She had seemed like such a nice girl… such a kind and keep-to-herself girl. I never would have even _guessed_ at the culprit being _her_!

"We were able to keep the bitten toddlers under wraps," Aro said absentmindedly while waving his hand casually. He appeared to be too focused on me to really be able to listen to the other two. "What say _you_, Pahandus? What would _you_ do with her?"

"_I_ would keep her," he said, grinning wickedly at me. "I would see if her child can be of any use to _our_ side, and if it proved a worthwhile investment then I would consider beginning the production of our own army immediately."

"Production?" Aro asked with interest, eyeing me over as if I were a machine rather than a person.

"Indeed, Sire. If Edward could impregnate her, then why not the rest of us? She might be worth the trouble of keeping around if we are able to take talented members of our own camp and create our own like-kind. Take _me_, for example. I know I am worth a great deal to you because of my talents. You have never seen another like me; you've said so yourself. What, then, would _two_ of me be worth to you?"

Aro's eyes portrayed his delight as he thought on this sick monster's corrupted logic. I looked around at the other robed figures and realized that no one was going to advocate for me! No one was going to fight for me… no one was going to tell them not to do this to me!

"It would be _rape_!" I cried.

"Imagine," Pahandus continued like I had not said anything at all, "How long have you waited for Edward to come to his senses and join the Guard? He has never shown interest in adhering to our forces and he shows little promise of ever being swayed. We will no longer have to wait for him. There is another like_ him_ inside of _her_! I say we take her and take it and make whatever talents your Lordship desires."

"You cannot _take_ me! You cannot _keep_ me! You cannot _rape_ me!!" I screamed. "Not _me_ and not _my baby_!"

I stood up from Aro's throne and began running toward the doors as quickly as I was able, but as I tried to make my escape, not only was I surrounded by a host of robed figures who began seizing me, but my head became so light that I actually _did_ fall to the ground. I could hear my heart pound in my head and everything seemed to move in slow motion from that point onward.

I felt Aro grab me by the hand as two others in dark robes pressed me against a wall.

"I see nothing," he laughed loudly, enthralled by his not being able to see everything I have ever seen, said or thought by merely touching my hand. He turned toward Caius and Marcus. "I'm sorry, my dear brothers," he shrugged, "I simply cannot allow her to be destroyed, nor what is in her. I_ have _to see it for myself. I have to see what this is all about. What can she _do_ for us? What can she _make_?"

I saw Caius and Marcus staring at me with cruel narrowed eyes, obviously wishing for my execution.

"Shall we test her against all of our powers?" Pahandus inquired casually. "It would be interesting to see what she succumbs to, and how far she can be pushed with pain and misery."

I felt exposed and powerless; dehumanized like some sort of miserable lab rat, so I began to cry.

"Look what she does!" Aro gasped at my reaction. "Tears, my sweet little Bella? I cannot stand for them. Put them away, my dear. You will grow to be at least satisfied here with us. You ought to be ecstatic that I am not being rid of you entirely. You should be _grateful _and _overjoyed_ at this. I see you looking at Caius and Marcus. Be happy that I at least wish more for you than they do."

"I would rather be dead than raped, and forced to bear you anything," I cried only harder now.

"Be careful what you wish for, Bella," Pahandus cakcled, "For I'm sure that can be arranged if you will not comply."

The scene around me began to darken as I only saw in tunnel vision now. I knew it would only be a moment or less before I passed out completely. I tried one more time to struggle and break free, absolutely knowing beforehand that my efforts would be in vain.

"I want to go home," I whimpered as my legs weakened from beneath me; however, I was still held up by two robed members of Aro's clan. One was a blond, petite girl; the other a young man with dark hair. They both snickered at my desperate declaration and turned to look at Aro as he spoke.

"My dear," he said very seriously, not smiling for the first time, "You _are _home."

Everything around me closed as the heaviness of my eyelids could no longer bear their own weight. Before I fell into the darkness completely, I could still hear Pahandus laughing.


	23. WRITE ON!

**Write On!**

Dear fellow authors and readers of Fanfiction,

I've decided to include a short note in this chapter that I feel concerns _all of us_. As many of you know, my writings have a corresponding blog that I took out not very long ago. Here is one entry:

_I've received messages from authors who have had their stories eliminated from (One example: CullenxVamp). I've decided, therefore, to make my stories available here, just in case mine get pulled as well. I've posted one of the reviews I received for my story __More__ in the previous post (a thing which I find to be just fine as far as ethics are concerned, since the reviews are public and can be viewed by anyone at anytime, regardless of whether they have an account at or not)._

_The links to these stories can be found to your right, just under __Completed Fanfic Works__. I would ask you to bear in mind, however, that not all of them are complete. In fact, as of now, only __The Secret__ is complete. I am going to post the other stories, even though they are still WIP (Works in Progress) because I fear that one day they might be gone!! I will be announcing to my readers that these stories are available here in my author's notes from here on out, just to be sure that anyone who wants to read them can find the place to read them, no matter what._

_Please do not misunderstand me: I LOVE fanfiction (dot) net. I recommend it to all aspiring writers who are searching for a positive, creative outlet or who would like to try their hand at a new hobby. I can testify that I have definitely grown as a writer because of all of the feedback (both positive and otherwise) that I have received. I am grateful for each and every review (with only one exception... can you guess which?), and I am thankful that real, live human beings have taken the time to read and enjoy things that I have written. After all, that is __why__ I write. It is for __you__. I am a firm believer that the numbers have the power to speak for themselves. Each month, when checking my __Traffic__ on my fanfic account, I see that thousands (even hundreds of thousands) of readers are taking a peek at what I write. More than seventy percent of them read entire works and I have received thousands of reviews and personal messages. I can even brag that I have responded to each and every one!! As you can see, my readers are very, __very__ important to me._

_So anyway, long story short, those stories will be available here just in case they disappear from there._

_With love and gratitude,  
Stephanie_

_****_

_An excerpt from __Forthright__, Ch. 2:_

_"I absolutely __love__ fanfiction, because it allows me free access to publish my stories and to collect some reviews (which if all of us authors are being completely honest with ourselves, we __adore__ receiving them; I know they are definitely the driving force behind what keeps __me__ writing and publishing, lol). Plus, the publishing page is very-user friendly, if you ask me, and the directions for everything in general are super-clear. If you haven't tried your hand at writing and publishing a fanfic yet, I recommend that you __do__!! Exposing your talents to others and being able to collect what others say about your works is a great way to grow as an author!! Plus, once you unleash your imagination, it goes all over the place and believe it or not, sometimes people actually __want__ to follow you down your own personal rabbit hole, lol. I say, "Let them!" :)"_

Fellow readers, please, please, _please_… whatever reviewers say about your writings… however your critics attack you… no matter what: WRITE ON!! If you love to write, write. If you love Twilight, write Twilight fanfiction. Don't feel bullied to the point that you quit. Never ever quit. If you are passionate about something that you enjoy, do it! I, for example, am deeply passionate about writing Twilight fanfiction. Is that nerdy? Well, _hells yeah_, it is! That goes without saying. But when I write, I am in my own world and it can be however I want it to be. If that is true for me, it is true for you as well!!! Be in your own world if you want to be, and don't let some snobby douche bag make you feel bad about it. If it means anything at all, please know that _I_ support you!

With sincere love and sisterly support,

Stephanie


	24. A Pair of Two's

A/N: First of all, a very special thank-you-hug to all of you who responded to the last chapter, "Write On!" It is important for all of us to allow others to express themselves freely. Many talented authors began as "dabblers," and that is what we all are on this site. If you've read this far, you must like at least _something_ about my writing. If that is the case, please just do me one favor: don't harass other authors, even if you strongly dislike their stories. It is helpful and for the most part appreciated to give positive feedback and positive criticism, but don't ever "chasten" them without closing with something warm and loving to say as well. Additionally, if you write, please don't stop (even if you are being "bullied" by other groups who feel they need to _police_ you). What you have to say is important and meaningful, and writing is a wonderful, healthy outlet for so many of us. I love you all so much and I'm going to _pull an Esme_ and tell you that I just want us to all be one big happy family, lol. As cheesy as I'm sure that sounds, it's true. Also, just to let you all know, I am making a back up of my stories on my blog. The links can be found on my author profile page. Just click my pen name up top and it will take you to that page. The links are under "Blog." And now, let's get on with the show!

As you are already aware, I do not own the _Twilight _series, nor am I professionally affiliated with said series in any way. This work is non-profit and serves as humble evidence that there are some of us out there who really, really love these characters. :D

Stephanie

…

**BPOV**

_Everything around me closed as the heaviness of my eyelids could no longer bear their own weight. Before I fell into the darkness completely, I could still hear Pahandus laughing._

I don't know how much time passed before I heard them. I wasn't even sure if I really was hearing anything real at all… but it just _felt_ so genuine that I was positive I was having an actual conversation with someone other than my own subconscious self.

"_Where are you?"_ he asked.

"_Jake? Is that you?"_

"_Bells! Oh my God, you're not going to believe this you guys! Are you hearing this? Is anyone else hearing this?"_

As Jake asked the question, I began to hear others' voices as well.

"_Hear what?"_ Embry's voice came, as crystal clear as Jake's had.

"_I think our boy here is going loco,"_ laughed Quil. _"He's claiming to be hearing things."_

"_Wait,"_ said Seth, _"Hold on just a minute. I think I _do_ hear something, just like Jake said."_ It was the voice of reason! Actually, it was the voice of Seth.

"_You guys!"_ I cried out in my head. _"Is it really you? Are you really here? Or am I just going crazy now?"_

I could feel their surprise at hearing me as I felt that they _did_ hear me. So many thoughts came flooding through my mind. It was more than just one person talking over another, the way it would have been if we were talking out loud. I could actually hear and understand everything that everyone was saying the whole entire time.

"_Is it like this for you all the time?" _I asked.

I felt them laughing in amusement as they understood that we really were, in fact, communicating.

"_How is this happening?"_ Embry asked.

"_I don't know,"_ I admitted. _"It's never happened before. I've never been able to hear you guys. I wonder why it's happening now, all of a sudden?"_

"_Where are you?"_ Jake asked.

"_I don't really know. I mean, I know I'm in Volterra." _I sensed that they were too all of a sudden. _"I was in a large room with the Volturi. I don't know where I am now, though. I passed out."_

I heard them growl from within. I felt their anger as they heard everything that had happened to me while in that room flood out of my mind and into theirs. Then I heard Jake think of how angry Edward was at hearing this.

"_Edward? Edward?" _Was he in here with the rest of us? _"Can you hear me, Edward? Please, say something if you can!"_

"_He can hear you," _Jake said. _"He is with us, but he can't talk to you. He hears you through us."_

"_Come get me, Edward! Please! Please help us! I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about the baby before! Please, please forgive me. I can't stand to be without you. I'm so afraid. Pahandus… he wants to… _use_ me. He wants to pass me around and use me! Please, help!"_

"_Slow down, Bells,"_ Jake said. _"We're on our way to you. We won't let any of those things happen to you. We promise. Both me _and_ Edward. He wants you to know that he loves you. He wants me to tell you that he will… how shall I put this delicately? Well, never mind. I think we can just screw 'delicately' at this point. He wants you to know that he is going to beat the asses of every single one of them as he rips their heads off and burns their bodies."_

"_Please, Jake… please tell Edward that I love him too."_

I felt my eyes begin to well up with tears. I felt myself lift out of the circle of communication and rise back into the conscious part of my mind. I opened my eyes and lifted my head. I looked around me only to see Pahandus lurking in the dark corner of the room. He slowly approached the bed and I thrashed around, sitting up quickly and scooting closer and closer toward the head of the bed, trying to keep the distance between this strange, evil creep and myself as vast as possible.

"Pahandus," I whispered in fear, wondering why he was standing in the room where I slept.

"Bella," he nearly sang, "There, there."

He stretched forth his hand as if to run his fingers through my hair, but I slapped it away before he could reach me. He laughed wickedly as he continued to advance. He crept forward, lifting his knee onto the end of the bed and crawled toward me. All of a sudden, I heard _two_ wicked voices cackling away.

I gasped as I saw him split into _two_. Now _two_ filthy, wicked men slithered toward me, one on either side. I tried to get up so that I might run away, but they each caught my wrists so that they pulled me back to the bed. I was flat on my back and hysterical from the overwhelming fear.

Was I really seeing what I was seeing?

"How?" I wheezed, barely able to speak from the anxiety that swirled through my mind and body. "How have you…"

"Split?" the Pahandus on my left finished my question for me.

"It was quite easy," said the one on my right. "You see… I am rather a bit of a trickster, if you want the honest truth."

"Isn't the truth _always_ honest?" asked the one on my left.

The one on my right laughed, followed by the one on my left.

"What _are_ you?" Asking three little words was such a feat. My heart was beating harder than it ever had before and I felt the cold sweat trickle down my forehead.

"_We_ are two," delicately whispered the one on my right into my ear.

"Yes…" whispered the one on my left with a little more force. His long, drawn out 's' was echoing through my head as it tickled my ear.

"She seems surprised, Pahandus," giggled the Right.

"Indeed, Pahandus, she _does_," snickered the Left.

"You are both named Pahandus?" I asked the pair.

"We are the same person, Bella. It is only logical that we carry the same name." The Left rolled his eyes at me as he spoke.

The fear began to abate some as I grew frustrated.

"You are in two different bodies!" I said. Angry tones decorated the words; my frustration was beginning to make itself known to him... or to _them_... whichever the case may be.

"_We_ already know that," jeered the Right.

I thought of arguing with them about being one. After all, the Pahandus on my right had just said _we_, suggesting that there was more than one. Was it possible that this really was just one insane monster with a state of duplicity beyond compare? Was it actually possible for him to be one single mind in two bodies, or was really he two minds that could come to form one body and they just thought of themselves as one person? How could what was real about any of this even be measured? My fear that turned to anger was now diving off a spring board into the deep waters of confusion.

"It all comes down to how one defines the _self_," said the Left, smiling at how I was obviously baffled.

"I am the side of Pahandus that Aro counsels with," said the Right. "He knows that I am tricky, and he knows that I am sly, but he doesn't know about the other side."

"That's right," said the Left. "I am the side that does my own will. I am meant for bigger, better things than being a mere servant."

"Why are you even telling me this?" I asked. "Does Aro know what you can do? Does he know that you can split like this?"

"He does not," they both said in unison.

I shuddered then.

_Why are they telling me this? Why are they disclosing these things to _me_? What do they have planned for me that would make them divulge such liable information?_

"It feels so nice, doesn't it, Pahandus, to have someone to talk to about these things," said Left.

"Yes," smiled Right, "It does. You are correct, you know, Pahandus. You are accurate in that we cannot let Aro keep her to himself. He will waste time with her. There is no talent greater than ours, anyway. We should be the ones to mate with her... ours should qualify as the only offspring to come from her! Aro will not take kindly to that plan of ours... our plan to keep her all to ourselves. We will have to remove her from this place and take her with _us_."

"What will you do with me?" I asked.

"You are a beautiful woman, Bella," Left said, licking my jaw as he did so. "What do you _think_ I am going to do with you?"

I trembled as the Pahandus on my right began kissing up my arm. Again, I tried to get away, but it was to no avail. I began to cry again, feeling weak once more.

"She will be out again soon," whispered one to the other.

"Yes, she will. We will wait until then. We will have less trouble removing her from the castle if she is not able to scream."

I was blinded once more from what was outside of me as my eyes closed without my consent. The unsteady thrumming of my heart was all I could focus on… until I heard another thrumming, and then another. There were two heartbeats other than my own pulsing. I hadn't heard one coming from Pahandus… or anyone else within these walls.

That could only mean one thing…

There were _two_ heartbeats other than my own… pulsing through _me_!

Twins.


	25. Lost Lady Found

A/N: I've enjoyed reading the reviews for the last chapter. Yes, Pahandus is a major weirdo; that is very much the truth! Also, _yes_, Bella is having twins! Remember when Alice saw _two_ babies? She thought that Fate had not yet decided what the baby would look like. As it turns out, Bella is having them _both_!

…

**EPOV**

We were all running now at top speed. We had already decided that it would be of no use to continue driving. We could travel much faster on foot and our distance would be much shorter if we didn't have to follow the winding paths of the roads. We had already ditched the cars about fifty miles back. The Wolves phased so that they could keep up with us, and I led the entire group, being the fastest of them all.

"Don't worry, Edward. We will get to her in time," Rose shouted from the middle of the group.

I knew that she was terrified for Bella's safety and that she was taking comfort for herself in offering it to me. Rose had been in a situation where her virtue was compromised, which of course, led to her own change. She was terribly upset that Bella was now in a similar circumstance and she dreaded that something awful would happen to the little child who Bella carried; the little girl who was my daughter.

"Remember when we arrive, Cullen family, that you will need to act well your parts. You must not let on that the castle will be breached. I know you are very angry, and that is understandable, of course. However, you must _appear_ to be diplomatic in nature. Keep the Volturi and as many members of their Guard as you can within the Throne Room. The Wolves, the Denali's, the Wild Cards and we will take out the Sentinels. Don't attempt to assist us. _We_ will come to _you_, and _only then_ will your combat skills be expected," Adalfieri advised.

"Basically," Natalie laughed with wild rage, "Let us do our jobs."

Samantha laughed along with Natalie and I felt more secure at knowing that the two warped minds of the Wild Cards were on _our_ side. I sure wouldn't want to face them as enemies… they were horrifically 'creative' when it came to thinking of ways to torture their victims before they finally begged and groveled to die once and for all. I cringed as I saw them thinking of 'new tactics' they'd like to implement this time around. They've wanted to _off_ the Volturi for quite some time… and by the way Jasper was sensing their excitement, it seemed as if these two ladies were waiting to open Christmas presents. The wild women were catching up to me, nearly running faster than I was because they were so damn angry and excited.

"He will expect us," Carlisle said. "Aro will not believe that we are willing to merely sit back while he steals away a member of our family. He will _expect_ our diplomatic demeanor, though. _That_ will be his downfall. He will not anticipate the talents of our friends, the Princes, the Wild Cards nor the Wolves."

"Even if he does," Jake chimed in, "That won't stop us from taking him out. We're going to rip him apart at his neck! Did anyone bring any matches?"

The Wild Cards snickered evilly as they pulled several packs out of their pockets and waved them in the air.

"I can't wait to see his filthy old eyes when he finally realizes he's gonna' die!" Jasper shouted. "He's bullied the rest of us around for the last time. He may pretend to have good intentions for vampires, but let's just call it how it is. All he's interested in is power and wealth… never giving a shit for the welfare of others. Today he's finally gonna' pay for that!"

It was only a few minutes time before we were finally facing the entrance of the city.

"We'll go in," I said, reading the others' minds. "And we won't forget to play _diplomatic_."

"Half of us will go east, led by Vico. The rest of us will go west," Adalfieri announced to everyone as we entered. "We'll take out all there are outside of the Throne Room and meet in the middle, which will be right back here. Now, we don't know exactly where Bella will be, but…"

Just then Jasper's phone rang.

"_Put me on speaker,"_ Alice's tiny voice squeaked from the other end of the line.

He did as she requested.

"_We found someone who can help you track down where Bella is,"_ she said proudly. _"She is like Bella, actually. And she knows how to connect with the Wolves whenever she wants to. She can tune them in and out as if they were a radio. She's wanted to stay out of the minds of the younger generations. She's not been in contact with Wolves since her father passed away. He was once the chief of the Quileute Nation, back in their glory days. She is the lost princess the girls and I have been searching for. Her name was Princess Mishawaka then, but she goes by Joan now. She says she wants to help us, and that she wants to meet Bella."_

I heard the Wolves wondering at this. They were somewhat surprised that such a person existed, though they've always heard of her in the legends, so in a way, they were not too surprised.

"How can the Wolves connect with her, Alice?" I asked on behalf of Jake, who was wondering.

"_All they have to do is remain in their wolf form. As long as they do, she can enter and leave their communication ring as she pleases. She will even be able to connect with Bella, once Bella and she are both with you. Are you guys ready?"_

As soon as they nodded with consent, a woman's voice came to them as clear as a bell. I heard her through them. She was comforting them and telling them that all would be alright. She thought back on the combat training that her father gave other members of his own pack back in his day. She showed Jake and the others how to destroy vampires in ways they had never even thought of before. I was glad that they met her _after_ becoming friends with us first. I would have hated for them to have this knowledge before we revised the treaty.

"The Wolves will retrieve Bella," Adalfieri said. "Pardon the word _retrieved_, boys. I didn't mean any disrespect."

The wolves laughed as they ran off. They were following the directions of the Lost Lady, who was now found to us.

"_They will find her," _Alice said, _"I have seen it."_

"We will continue with the plan," Adalfieri said boldly. "Vico, take your men and one of the Cards. Cullens, make your way toward the clock tower."

"_Aro has sent two Guards already,"_ Alice said. _"Adalfieri is right that you should go to the tower. They will be waiting for you. The Volturi don't know about the rest of our group, though. Make sure it is kept that way. Do not let Aro touch you at all, or he will know our plans and we will risk a happy outcome from all of this."_

Jasper closed his phone as we moved toward the clock tower. We moved at an average human's speed. The sun was beginning to set. Many humans were retiring to the indoors, though the few that remained out never suspected a single thing by merely looking at us.

Of course, Alice was correct about the two guards waiting for us by the clock tower. They each opened a door for us to enter when they saw us coming.

"Well, well," said Jane with cruel eyes. I knew that she was waiting for Aro's permission to attack us… to make us all feel terrible pain.

"Cullens," Alec said, nodding his head at us as we came into the building. "I believe you think our Masters have something that belongs to you?"

None of us said a word. We simply reveled in the fact unknown to him that dozens of his allies were being destroyed at that very moment.

…

A/N: A special thank you to Princess Mishawaka, aka Joan. She is a real-live person, and a great one at that. Hats off to you, Joan! :D


	26. Feigning Diplomacy

**EPOV**

"Carlisle! Edward!" Aro greeted us pretentiously. "I see you've brought the rest of your family as well. And the Denali's too! How delightful! Though…" he trailed off, searching around us as if there were something small to be discovered, "I do not see your lovely Alice. Where might _she_ be?"

"Alice is otherwise occupied," Carlisle stated matter-of-factly.

"And she could not postpone her previous engagement for something as significant as this?" Aro turned to walk away, tisking. He said under his breath, yet knowing full well that we all would hear his words, "My, my, what a disappointment. I was under the assumption that Bella was well-loved by Alice. It is quite a shame to discover that is not the case after all." He turned toward us again, raising his volume and overthrowing his dejected spirit as if now giving a happy announcement, "Nevertheless, the rest of you have come to visit me, as I believed you would. I did not require Alice's special talents to be able to discern as much."

"You know _why_ we have come?" I asked as calmly as I could manage.

He advanced toward me suddenly and looked me in the eye, smiling as he did so.

"Yeeessss," he stretched out the word.

He fled around the rest of us, hovering in front of Carmen who stood at the end of the line we made.

"Two of your daughters, Carmen, are missing as well. Where are they, I wonder?"

He was about to pick up her hand, but she shrunk away from him and stood more closely to Eleazar. She hid her hands behind her back as a guilty child who had something to hide might do.

"Our… _daughters_," Eleazar began, "Are not currently affiliated with our clan at the present moment."

"No?" Aro asked with interest. It was obvious he was entertained by Eleazar's declaration and Carmen's fearful reaction at him coming so very close to her hand. "And yet, _others_ are affiliated with you in their stead, correct? It surprises me that you would choose mere beasts over your own kind. After all, I was under the impression that the ties that wove your families together could never be broken. Yet, here we are with three lovely pieces missing from the _golden collection_, as I sometimes do refer to you all. Tell me, please, if you wouldn't mind, _why _you prefer these beasts over your kin?"

"We would choose right over wrong any day," Garrett sneered at the monster that was Aro.

"Would you now?" Aro responded coolly; the corners of his mouth curled upward from the mirth that debate brought him. "Your sisters, young Garrett, are lovely and talented creatures. Are you so sure that you would rather call _Fido_ your brother than Tanya your sister?"

"I am positive of that, yes," Garrett boldly stated.

Aro gasped, as did Marcus. Caius, on the other hand, smiled with amusement.

"Let us get to the bottom of this," Caius hissed as he stood up. "You have willingly come to us because you know we have something that you believe belongs to you. It is not that I wish to keep such a monstrosity here among us in Volterra, per se; however, I am not so blind that I do not see the potential that she carries in her existence. Additionally, I am not so bereft of intellect as to say that you do not also see the potential circumstance. Tell me, then, why it is that you _want_ Bella back. What can she possibly mean to you other than the fact that she will bear children with whom you plan on destroying us all by?"

I took a step closer to Caius' throne which he stood in front of.

"I love her," I said. "Pure and simple. I love her."

The three exchanged glances with one another as they began to laugh.

"Love her? You…_ love_ her?" Marcus asked as he laughed. "You don't actually expect us to _believe _that, do you? You might have tried for something more realistic… more _legitimate_. Now we can know for sure that you mean only to create offspring with her so that you may build up your armed forces."

"Oh, heavens," Aro panted as his laughter died down. "Love? Hmm. No. If you cannot think of a better reason as to why you should have her back, I'm afraid this is just going to become one of those cases you call 'finders-keepers,' Edward."

Just then, a member of the Guard rushed in.

"I am sorry to bother you, Masters," the servant groveled toward the three. "There has been an incident that requires immediate attention."

"Can't you see we are busy here?" Aro snapped at the robed member of his Guard.

"Sir, yes, of course. However, as I hoped was clear but a second ago, this is an _emergency_."

Aro sighed with annoyance and rolled his eyes. "Tell us, then, what it is that is so important that you cannot manage to defer the message."

"Master," he groveled even closer, dropping to his knees and nearly crawling forward, "I've lost communications with the rest of the Guard. I've gone searching for their whereabouts, but I cannot find a single one. They've… _vanished_."

"Vanished?" Marcus shouted. "You stupid creature! Have you no wits at all? What do you mean the Guard has vanished?"

"I cannot say what I mean sir, except that I've gone searching for them at their posts. Not a single one remains. It is unclear to me where they have gone or for what reason they have left."

"Take these then," Caius said, motioning toward the forty or so robed vampires that stood in the Throne Room. "Discover where they have gone off to and if possible, bring them all back. If they will not come willingly, use any force necessary."

"As for the Cullens and the Denali's," Aro interrupted, "They will stay with us. I'm afraid our little conversation is not yet finished."

The forty members of the Guard followed the one who had entered just a moment earlier. We had only been in the Throne Room for _maybe_ fifteen minutes, and already the Princes, Cards and Wolves had managed to take the others out. I was truly satisfied as I watched the forty leave. I knew they would be walking to their sure destruction at this rate.

Aro waited until the forty had left before continuing with his spiel. "You were saying, Edward, that you _love_ Bella. I have to say that I don't believe that one of _us_ is capable of loving one of _them_. And the secret is already out. Everyone knows that your filthy whore you call a wife is mixed with the blood of savage barbarians. However, if you can find a way to _prove _to me that these are your true feelings for her…" He extended his hand, waiting for me to take it.

I didn't budge. I wasn't about to show him all of the plans we had made to bring him down this very day. I wasn't about to divulge our secret stratagem to him. I knew that if I kept my head level long enough then it would only be a matter of time before I had the chance to squeeze his nasty neck until his eyes popped out of his skull. It would only be a matter of time before I had him pinned underneath me as I held his face between my hands, pulling his head off and launching it into a fire that burned between the three thrones. Only a matter of time…

"Afraid I'll discover the _truth_?" he jeered at me.

As he spoke, the doors slammed wide open. Nearly twenty of the robed members who had just left reentered in a hurry. They slammed the doors closed and tried to force themselves against it so that whatever was after them wouldn't be able to come in.

"There are more among us than the two clans in this room!" cried one robed figure with panic. He was missing both of his arms along with the cloth that would have covered them. He pushed his back to the doors, attempting to help the others keep it shut.

The doors did not stay firm for long. Instead of pushing the doors open, the Twelve Princes punched through them, tearing them completely apart. They rushed after the remaining survivors of the Volturi's Guard, attacking them from every angle while keeping their own defenses solid as iron. They ripped our enemies to shreds, tearing their faces off before popping their heads off their necks. My family and the Denali's joined in the scene. They disemboweled each vampire thoroughly, then tossed the shreds of faces and flesh into the fire that was spreading from the hallway into the Throne Room. The three Volturi gazed around the room, shocked at the terrible twist of fate they were witnessing. I heard the haunting laughter of the two Wild Cards as they entered the room, tossing arms and legs they had already collected into the fire as well, sending the flames ablaze.

"Where are the Wolves?" I shouted to Natalie. She was ripping strips of flesh off of a dismembered leg that she had carried in as if it were nothing more than a piece of string cheese, feeding each segment to the fire.

"They are in the chambers below," she yelled back over the deafening roar of the flames. "You must run to them. Take these with you!" She accidentally dropped a few of the disjointed arms to the floor as she reached into her pocket and tossed me a box of matches. Her grin was evil and wide. "The rest of us will stay here and destroy the remaining few who live." She didn't bother reaching down to pick the arms up, but rather she just kicked them into the flames. "Oh, I just _knew_ today was going to be a fun day," she squealed with excitement.

"Don't worry about the three kings," Samantha shouted as she ran up to stand next to her sister. She had one head in each hand, gripping them by their hair. "We will save Aro, Caius and Marcus for last. I know you'll want to be here to see what we do to them!" She tossed a head up into the air as Natalie spiked it into the fire. "Good one," Samantha cheered her sister on as she twirled the other head by the hair and let it go off a tangent into the inferno. "We can't promise we won't destroy their bodies before you get back, though. But they'll be aware of the torture going on around them as long as their heads are spared from the flames. I _guess_ you could call that _alive_," she said with a shrug- pausing as if to reflect some deep philosophical matter before she grabbed a robed figure and snapped his torso in two.

I turned quickly and launched myself past the fire and through the doors in a hurry. I couldn't turn around the corners quickly enough, and took off entire chunks of wall as I slammed into the edges. I was too busy thinking of rescuing Bella and our baby to pay much attention to how out of control I was while running at top speed.

As I ran down the stairs, coming closer and closer to where Bella was being held, I could hear the internal thoughts of Joan, the Wolves… and _two_ other creatures.


	27. The Head Count

**BPOV**

"_Bella,"_ came a gentle woman's voice. _"Bella…"_

"_Who's there?"_ I thought to myself.

"_You must get up, Bella," _she said.

"_I can't move,"_ I said. _"I think I'm sleeping. I can't figure out how to wake up."_

"_She is being moved," _the voice said.

"_What? Who? Me? Am I being moved? Who are you talking to? Who are you?"_

"_I am Joan," _she said. _"I am here to help your friends find you. They couldn't tell where you were and I am only too pleased to guide them to you so that they may save you."_

"_How are you talking to me in my mind? Are you a wolf?" _I asked.

She giggled. _"No,"_ she replied.

"_Then, how?" _

"_I am like you, Bella. I have both Alpha Wolf blood _and_ vampire venom in me. See for yourself what you will…"_

She was remembering her past.

Her given name meant _sweet water_, and she was loved by everyone who knew her. She fell in love with a stranger. The man for whom she was intended became desperately jealous. He had imprinted on her and she refused to return his love for her. Because he was desperate to either have her or be free from her, he waited until his village went to sleep and then snuck in her quarters and begged her to marry him. She refused as she always had and tried to cry for help, but before she could scream, the spurned man stabbed her in her heart. It was the pale face stranger who saved her life, knowing how to pull the spear from her flesh and sew her up. Even though the white stranger saved his daughter's life, the Chief still forbade a union between the two. The man she truly loved was not like other men of his tribe… nor was he like other men of his own kind. He was a vampire.

The Chief was hot with fury when he realized that his daughter had snuck off to be married to the vampire. After her forbidden union, she discovered that she was carrying her husband's child. It was during that time when her father slit her arm open and poured his own blood into her. She was afraid that the changes that would come would destroy the child within her. She was able to phase into a werewolf and even communicate with them while in her form. No one ever spoke of the female wolf and she was commanded to stop changing into their form, even though she was unable to help it the few times that she did. Her father's command for her to stop phasing didn't keep her from doing it. She was as much an Alpha as her father was and everyone was surprised to discover that when _she_ told _him_ to do something, the order had to be obeyed. However, it wasn't true for the other way around. It was the spurned wolf who still adored Mishawaka that plotted against the Chief. It was he who led a rebellion and who killed him.

She had mothered two children with the stranger by the time her father had died. None of the members of the tribe believed that her father had been murdered by members of his own pack. Rumors began and spread quickly that she was the one who commanded her father to kill himself. Everyone blamed _her _for his death. They said that her father had been "too lenient" with his daughter and that they were not foolish enough to be the same way. They wanted nothing to do with her and cast her away. She went willingly, having been abandoned by all of her family and friends. After her father's burial she never went back to the tribe. In fact, she watched his funeral from a distance because the others wouldn't allow her to step foot onto the sacred burial grounds because they blamed her for his murder.

After all of those sad affairs she changed her name to Joan. She still lives with her husband and now five children who are grown and who have children of their own. Alice tracked her down and came to her for help concerning me and this very moment of desperation I would face.

"_I am leading your friends to you even now,"_ she said warmly. _"When they find you, they will make you free from your worries. You must remain calm, Bella. Have faith that I can help you and have faith that your loyal pack members will help you. I am so very proud to say that they are descendants of my nation. They are truly good at heart and have only the best concern for you."_

I could feel that she was looking into my memories and seeing the treaty that Jake had offered my family. I could feel that she understood the deep love that my family had for the Wolves and the deep love that was reciprocated from them.

"_Can you tell me where I am?" _I asked her.

"_You are below the city of Volterra. There is someone trying to move you out of the city, but he will not succeed."_

From her communication with the Wolves I could sense that they were on their way right now. I could feel that they were running through the halls of the castle and making their way to me. I could see Jake and the others pushing down the doors to get to me. I could see that Pahandus was carrying me in his arms. I saw him toss me over his shoulder when he spotted the Wolves coming after him. I could see them catching up to us and watched as Jake phased into his human form. I saw that he was completely naked, but he kicked Pahandus forward at the same time as he grabbed my arms and pulled me toward him. I saw him carry me away and lay me down before he phased back into his wolf form. All of them: Jake, Embry, Quil and Seth advanced on Pahandus, who was backed into a corner.

"_You don't want to do this," _he begged them. _"You don't want me to end like this. I can _help_ you. I can be of _use_ to you. Please… please…"_ He split into two again and both of them groveled before the Wolves.

I heard Edward coming up from behind the four allies. I saw him as he stepped in front of them and bent down over the Pahandus to his right. Jake further cornered the Pahandus to his left.

"_I can hear your fear,"_ Edward whispered to his victim. _"I can almost taste it. That is how strong it is. I think I will take this time to turn an _almost_ into an _absolute_."_

He gripped the enemy by his hair, pulling his head back. His jaws launched forward, piercing the flesh that was there. Both of the enemies began to scream in pain at just one of them being bitten. Edward continued to gnaw away at their necks as they both screamed in terror. Once the Right Pahandus' head was completely removed, the head of the Left fell off. Both bodies were writhing. The Wolves moved in and started tearing the limbs off of the bodies. Edward gripped both heads in his one hand and grabbed one of the bodies. He shook the insides of the body out onto the other body, then threw the first body on top of the second. He grabbed a box of matches from his pocket and lit one, then threw it onto the bodies.

The heads were screaming for mercy as he set their bodies on fire. The expression on the faces made them seem as if they were still attached to the bodies. They howled with pain as Edward turned them toward their bodies so that they could see what was happening to them.

"You stupid fuck! You think you can get away with doing whatever you please to my _wife_ and not have to suffer any consequences?!" Edward screamed at them, then knocked their faces into one another over and over as they begged him to pull their bodies out of the flames so that they might be reattached and live.

Edward laughed at their requests and whirled them around, continuing to knock them into walls and the floor. He threw them to the side when he saw me propped up in a corner. He ran to my side and lifted me into his arms.

All of these things I saw from within my mind as I looked at what the Wolves saw. I could feel that I was, indeed, laying in his arms as he ran his fingers through my hair. I could feel him nuzzling against me, soothing me and promising me that everything was going to be alright. I could hear, with my own two ears, as he told me over and over how much he loved me and how he couldn't wait to be a father.

"_You're going to be the father of not just one baby, but two,"_ I tried to tell him, though my body was worn out from stress and pain and couldn't wake up so that I might tell him these things face to face.

He heard me through the Wolves, though.

"Two babies?" he gasped with a smile. "Two little you-and-me's running around?"

He held me even closer to him and kissed my forehead and cheeks.

"I love you so much, Bella."

I knew that he was reading me through the Wolves' minds, looking in on how stressed out I had once been to tell him these things. He understood my fear and even my embarrassment at becoming pregnant unexpectedly. He was feeling those feelings that I had felt as I remembered them.

"Don't ever feel that way, love. Please, don't ever feel that way about what we create together. I love you so much, and I am never ashamed of how much that is. I promise you that whatever you need from me… whatever you desire, it will be yours. If you want to keep them a secret, let it be a secret that is kept from the world, but never a secret that is kept from _me_. Let me be on your side, love. Let me in and let me love you."

I felt so much shame at hearing him confess his love and pride for me, even after all that I had done to make this complicated situation. I felt so stupid at having kept these things from him the way that I had.

"Don't feel that way, Bella, sweetheart. I know that you only did what you thought was the best thing at the time. I must say though," he chuckled, "That you and the girls sure did a good job of keeping all of this under wraps. I can't believe us guys never caught on to any of it. Now that I look back I wonder how I missed it. All of your secret giggling and hiding baby things around the house where we would never look. I have to admit, you females are very clever things, aren't you?"

I was so relieved that he was laughing about it rather than being flipping pissed, as I was afraid he would be. I was so thankful that he was with me and still in love with me.

"I just can't believe I can hear you, Bella. I can't believe that I can hear what you are thinking, even if it is through the thoughts of someone else that I hear your voice. Oh, Bella, this is such a wonderful thing! I have longed for this since the day I met you." He held me to his chest as he picked me up.

"_We ought to get back with the others," _Jake suggested.

"Please, Bella," Edward asked, "Please wake up if you can, love. I know you are tired, but I have something for you to see that I just know you'll adore."

I tried to open my eyes, and I knew he could tell I was making the attempt. He moved his lips to mine and gave me a kiss.

"There you go, sweetheart. Come on. You can do it."

I was beginning to see a faint light as I started to lift my eyelids.

"Edward?" I asked. I could hear that my voice was thick like gravel as I was trying to wake up.

"I'm here, sweetheart," he said, smiling at me.

We walked up the large, round staircases as we made our way to the room where the Volturi sat in power. Flames on either side of us in the great room must have been fifteen feet high on either side. Jasper and Emmett were the first ones I saw. They were laughing as they were shoving dismembered arms and legs into the fire. I looked around to see the Twelve Princes, Natalie and Samantha, my family and the Denali's (other than Tanya and Irena) doing the same.

"What's happened here?" I asked.

Everyone looked around and laughed. Jake and Embry had carried up the heads of Pahandus. They dropped them at Edward's feet.

"We've kept the three's heads," Natalie smiled at Edward. "And I see you have two of your own there. What shall we do with them?"

"Hmm," he said, grinning, "Let's get creative."


	28. Gilded

**EPOV**

"I say we bury the heads," Adalfieri suggested. "That way, they are always conscious but never able to see or hear anything."

"We can cover them in concrete," Vico recommended. "No one will ever be able to come for them if they are surrounded and no one can hear them screaming for help. If someone ever does find them and try to break them open, it is likely that they will fracture all the way through. I imagine that would be quite painful. Also, some of the pieces might get lost and not be able to reconnect ever again, leaving them in sore pain from that point onward. Or, we can just do the same old trick where we slather them in concrete and drop them in the ocean."

"Nah," Natalie said. "We need something more than what we normally do. After all, this is a very special occasion, you know?"

Samantha nodded her head in agreement, following Natalie as she paced around the five captured heads.

Aro began screaming profanities at us once he realized that we were not about to take mercy on them. Marcus and Caius remained silent; they were too proud to utter anything to us in their current state of captivity.

Pahandus, on the other hand, both of his heads were shrieking with terror. He was begging us to let at least one of him go.

"Which one of the Pandaheads should we spare?" Rose teased.

The one on the left scowled at her making a mockery of his name while the one on the right argued that it should be him that should be spared. Once the one on the left heard his counterpart begging for his own survival, he spat at him and cursed him for thinking so little of him.

"What will it matter?" cried Left. "If I am destroyed, you are as well, you stupid fuck! One of us cannot survive without the other."

"I am willing to take that chance!" Right yelled back, not missing a beat.

They went at their bickering for a moment before Emmett stepped forward. "Shut up, you Pandadouches," his loud voice boomed. "Neither of you are going to be spared, just so we are all clear on this."

Both sets of Pahandus' eyes went wide with shock at hearing this.

"We're just trying to figure out how we might make this the most excruciatingly painful thing you can ever imagine," said Natalie with a wide, wicked grin.

Samantha went toward Left and grasped him by his hair. "Hmmm," she wondered to herself.

"What do you have in mind, Sam?" Natalie asked. "Is it something cruel?"

Samantha's eyes sparkled with delight as she nodded her head. "I'm just thinking out loud here, Nat, but what if we employ the Brank?"

"The Brank?" I asked.

"Yes," Natalie smiled wider. "It's a metal head mask that includes spikes carved from venomed wood. Because the spikes are saturated with our venom, they will penetrate the flesh if the victim opens his mouth to speak."

"Or," Samantha interjected with glee, "I can get out the old pair of Crocodile Shears."

Natalie giggled.

"Crocodile Shears?" Jasper gasped as if a dainty lady had just cussed in front of the President.

"What are those for?" I asked, wondering if I really even wanted to know.

"Crocodile Shears," Jasper said with reverence, "Are basically a pair of spiked up pliers that were used to mutilate flesh; especially a man's penis." He turned to the Wild Cards, "Are yours actually authentic?"

"We specialize in torture," Natalie said, rolling her eyes. "_Of course_ all of our gear is authentic. I mean, we do make a few adjustments here and there to make sure they're effective on vampires. Ours are actually from the Middle Ages. They even have the shape of a crocodile's head."

"No use using those," Jasper said, almost with sadness. "We've already burned their bodies. There will be no… ahem… _extremities_ to ruin."

"Now, now," Samantha said, patting Jasper on the back as if to comfort him, "Don't say that. We can always use them to rip out their eyes or something."

"Why not tear their eyes out and then pour hot lava in the sockets?" Natalie said brightly as if she were merely a Girl Scout hoping to be helpful.

"That's a great idea," Samantha nodded. "See Jasper? We can still use the Crocs."

Jasper's mood lightened a bit at that. "I guess so," he said like a little boy who was trading chocolate cake in for green beans.

I almost laughed at how ridiculous this scene was. I mean, it's not every day that we sat around thinking of ways to destroy creatures.

Pahandus, both of him, were screaming with shock from hearing these things. Aro was still shouting disgusting names at us, as if he still might win the war after losing the battle. It was then that Caius spoke.

"It is a true shame that we didn't rape your little whore while we had the chance," he jeered.

"You should know that we wanted her dead. We should have eaten her alive," Marcus added.

Aro began laughing shrilly, both from frustration, but also from entertainment at the terrible words of the other two.

"I say we shove hot coals in their filthy mouths," Rose sneered.

"It's not the mouths that do the thinking," Carlisle said flatly. "We need something that is psychologically more striking."

"Why not flagellation?" Esme asked.

"Yeah," Natalie smiled.

"We can whip their faces with twenty ties of metal spikes covered in venom, tearing the skin from the back of their heads wide open," Samantha laughed wildly.

"Then we can place a splint between the wounds so that they will never completely heal. It will hurt like fuck for as long as they remain in them," Adalfieri added.

"Man, I'm just glad I'm not _against_ you twelve and you two," Carmen said. "I would hate to be on the receiving end of these punishments."

"Well… we _are _a bit cruel, I guess," Vico said shyly. He shrugged his shoulders as if he had been caught playing a minor prank on a fellow classmate. The truth was that he was not ashamed of these things at all.

I heard in their minds what they felt might have been too haunting to say out loud. Natalie was thinking of placing their heads between a vice, slowly extracting the eyes. Samantha, who looked as if she would never even hurt a fly, was remembering a contraption called the Virgin of Nuremberg. She was altering the design in her mind to accommodate just the heads of the victims. She was imagining the door with spikes penetrating the skull, over and over and over as she opened the door and slammed it shut. Adalfieri was thinking of the Pear of Anguish to twist their tongues away.

"All of these ways we plan on torturing them won't actually bring about their end, though," I said.

"I say we let them live," Bella said.

Everyone looked at her in amazement.

"Let me clarify," she continued, "I say we let them live, but not live well. I say we find a way to encase them with what they love most, so that they are always surrounded by it, yet will never be happy about their situation."

"And what do they love most?" Esme asked with interest.

"Look around," Bella said, pointing to the golden statues and the golden thrones. "Wealth. Power. _Gold._"

Natalie and Samantha's eyes lit up in unison. It was scary how they were actually thinking the same exact thing at the exact same time.

"Let's tear this place apart!" Natalie laughed.

"We'll melt down their thrones and gild their heads!" Samantha said, running up to the thrones, motioning for others to help her destroy the solid gold seats of authority.

"We can do all of the horrible things we want to them," Natalie winked at Samantha, "before we actually dip them into the hot gold. And they will be alive..."

Samantha turned to Natalie with a giggle before they both said in unison, "Forever!"

"What about the Pandaturds?" Emmett asked. "Are we going with concrete for these two?"

"What was it they loved the most?" Jasper asked.

"They loved the idea of taking Bella as a sex slave, pretty much," Jake said.

"I say we give them to the Wild Cards," I offered.

"_Really?_ You _mean_ it?" Natalie giggled with glee.

"As in, to _keep_?" Samantha asked just to be sure that her wildest dreams really were, in fact, coming true.

"Yes," Bella smiled. "Keep them and torture them forever!"

"You can't do this to us!" they cried. "You don't have the right to hold me against my will and torment me like this!"

"Just like _you_ didn't have the right to take _me_, and torment _me_?" Bella seethed at them.

I heard the minds of the Volturi at that moment. They were actually glad they were going to be stuck behind a thick layer of gold forever, even if the actual date for that event would be weeks or even months away, depending on how long they would keep the Wild Cards entertained with their reactions to the women's painful torture tactics.

"Now that we have decided what to do with our war prisoners," Adalfieri announced with a voice of thunder, "It is time to decide what shall be done concerning the issue of a fallen royal authority. As you all know, the only reason that our world has been kept a secret from the mortal humans is because something was there to give negative consequence to those who made a negative spectacle of themselves. It is true that the Volturi went much too far when it came to policing our kind; however, they were useful if only for that one thing."

"It is true," Eleazar confirmed, "That the Volturi did serve well for that function. Yet, we must never allow so few to hold so much power over so many. How is it that we can protect the secret of our kind while yet allowing all to make decisions that are best for themselves? Basically, we are looking for _someone_ to fill that role. I, if the rest of you agree this day, feel that Carlisle should be the one nominated for the role."

Everyone nodded their heads enthusiastically. Their minds confirmed that they truly did feel that it would be wisest to select Carlisle to guard the secrets of our kind.

"No, my friends. I cannot," Carlisle said. "I am flattered that you would think of me as worthy to rule over you. However, it is not my desire in the least to assume such a role. I am happiest with my current station in life. I love what I do and I love being with my family. Allow me, if you will, to propose a new idea. Indeed, we shall be guarded. However, let not one or even a few of us rule. Rather, let us all rule together, as one unit. We shall be several, united in purpose. If there is ever discord among our kind and another, we will come together and decide how best to solve that given problem at that given time. In this way we are best able to deal with situations as they arise."

Everyone was standing around him now as he addressed us; as he proposed his new idea.

"After all," he said, turning to the Wild Cards and the Twelve Princes, "I am sure that no one would want to be caught making a terrible spectacle of themselves to pose danger to humans when they know that they will have _you_ to face for punishment."

He turned then to the Wolves.

"You are our brothers. You are our family. The relationship that we have demonstrates that we all have it in us to rise above preconceived notions and paranoia that 'the other side' will destroy us if we don't destroy them first. You are welcome as our counselors, and as our friends. Your opinions and ideas will _not_ be rejected simply because you are not exactly like us in every single way. The diversity that unites us will only make us stronger. We will always adhere to the treaty," he promised. "The Quileutes and the Cullens, Denali's, Twelve Princes, and the Wild Cards are partners in defending one another's property and liberties from any outside force that would threaten the way of life between one or the other. That will be true from this point on, for all generations to come and for all new members to come. We swear to protect their members and they swear to protect ours, as well as the secrets of our kinds."

The handshakes, hugs, happy laughter and smiles that ensued illustrated how when there was one great man among us willing to share power equally, and labor among those who would look to him as a king, that there would be unity and strength from all and for all.

…

A/N: I hope you all had fun reading this chapter. I know that some of the torture-techniques were cruel and disgusting. I just thought I'd mention that the Brank, the Crocodile Shears, the Virgin of Nuremberg and the Pear of Anguish really were medieval torturing devices. I promise; look them up if you don't believe me.

A very special thank you to TheUnderStudy, who came up with the term "Pandahead" and Magos186, for the term "Pandadouche." They called Pahandus these names in a few reviews, and I simply couldn't resist using them in the story. Thank you, you two, for your awesome creativity and senses of humor! You both rock!

Gilded: having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.

Ironic, isn't it, that the Volturi's heads will be gilded? Yes, this definitely is my way of saying that their ways of thinking are of very little worth indeed. :D

Until next time,

Stephanie


	29. In Cold Blood

**APOV**

It felt so wonderful to know that our friends and family were finally on their way home. How the Wild Cards were going to manage to pack the heads in such a way so that they wouldn't be detected by airline security, I couldn't say.

Jen, Angela, Kathy, and Kari were all still sleeping.

"They've been sawing logs for nearly nine hours," Leah complained.

"It takes time for humans to rest after going through so much," I chided. "After all, you were completely human not that long ago. Don't you remember how exhausting high-drama research and reckless adventures can be?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm going to head back to the Res for awhile. I'll let my mom know that Seth is going to be home soon. She's _not_ on board with us working together with vampires, just so you know. I'm already going to have to kiss my mom and dad's butts forever after this little escapade," she laughed. "They're going to be pissed when I tell them that we left the country to track someone down."

"Would it help if you told them that the one we tracked down was an icon in their ancient legends?"

"Not likely," she smiled.

It's true that both Harry and Sue were against their children teaming up with their family's long-time mortal enemies. Well, the vampires weren't the mortal ones, per se, but they thought of us as mortal enemies nonetheless. It was, after all, in the nature of them to kill one of us and in the nature of the average vampire to want to kill one of them. As long as Billy and Sam were against the idea of us all working together, so would the rest of them be.

"Maybe it would cheer them up if you told them that the Wolves helped destroy one of the most ancient, dangerous clans?" I suggested.

"Nope," she laughed. "It won't help. I'll let them know, though, regardless."

I waved her off as she ran outside and phased into her wolf form. She managed to reach the woods before I could close the front door behind her.

"I am interested to meet your family," Joan called behind me from the kitchen.

She was sitting at the kitchen table, eagerly waiting their arrival.

"You will love them," I said. "And they will love you too."

"I hope I can be of some use to your Bella," she smiled.

"I know you will," I assured her. "Are there others out there like you and Bella?" I asked.

She shook her head. "As far as I know, Bella and I are the only ones who are mixed between vampires and anything else. I'm sure she'll have a lot of questions about what she can expect from the baby. Labor will be an extreme pain, but I suppose that's true for all mothers as they bring children into the world. It never got any easier though. The fifth one hurt just as badly as the first. However, the unique advantage that our children have is that they will get to live forever. They only age until they are between sixteen and twenty. Everything about them appears perfectly human. Aside from the never aging and never dying, I would argue that they _are_ human."

"Do their children live forever?" I inquired.

"Well, as for my grandchildren, only one of my children is a boy. He married a vampire and they cannot conceive. Obviously, my daughter-in-law's body is not able to bear children. However, my four girls, they are each unique. One of them married a mortal man, and their three children have aged past the norm. Their eldest aged to twenty-five years. When he anticipated that he would continue to age, he expressed interest in becoming a vampire himself. His younger sister is still aging. She is in her thirties and has decided not to become a vampire. It is a true sadness to us, but she and her husband have children of their own and they want to live normal human lives. Their youngest was nineteen when she decided to become a vampire. She expressed interest shortly after her brother. They became vampires the same year. I suppose how Bella's grandchildren turn out, mortal or otherwise, might not be the same as mine. I'm not exactly sure how the genes of the generations are altered from this. I think each situation might be unique. It will be interesting to compare her future generations to my own. I don't know if there's any rhyme or reason to it all, to be completely honest with you, Alice."

"Do you have any grandchildren who have never aged past sixteen to twenty like their parents?" I asked.

"Yes, I do, actually. All the rest of them, as a matter of fact, though I suppose that might be due to the fact that they married vampires instead of mortal men."

We continued to chat for awhile before Jasper sent me a text letting me know that their plane had arrived in Seattle. They were going to simply run home from there. It would be the quickest way, and aside from the heads, they had no luggage.

Joan and I continued to chat for awhile before she and the kitchen table disappeared entirely.

I was standing out in the woods, though where the scene was _exactly_, I couldn't say.

I saw Charlie off in the distance, walking through the thick brush in his hunting gear. He and Billy Black were parting ways, saying goodbye to one another and laughing about how they had just spent the last four hours without finding a single animal.

"_It seems a little too quiet," _Harry said.

"_I wonder what could be scaring the animals off? In all my years I've never heard it so quiet around here before,"_ Charlie wondered out loud. _"We might have to put out the rabbit boxes next time if bigger game doesn't start showing up."_

"_I don't think we'd have even been lucky enough to catch a rabbit today,"_ Billy laughed. _"Literally, the forest is completely silent."_

"_Oh well,"_ Charlie said, waving goodbye. _"See you tomorrow at Harry's? When's Leah and Seth supposed to be back from visiting their aunt up in Maple Grove?"_

Billy just scowled. He obviously knew that Seth and Leah were not in Maple Grove. This must have been the cover story that was going around, to hide why they were _really _gone.

"_I'm not exactly sure,"_ Billy said. _"You sure you don't want a lift back to your house?"_

"_Nah," _Charlie insisted. _"I'll be fine. It's only a mile or so back. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll bring the beers, you bring the nachos. Deal?"_

Billy laughed and headed the opposite direction. He walked for several moments before looking uncomfortable. He kept looking behind his back as if someone was following him. He had a worried look on his face as he searched through the trees, looking for something that might have been not quite right. He swung his rifle around, unslinging it and aiming it straight ahead of him.

"_Who's there?"_ he called out.

"_Your worst nightmare,"_ replied a sticky-sweet voice.

Within no more than a flash, a beautiful strawberry blonde ran in front of his gun.

"_You shouldn't be out here, miss," _Charlie warned, lowering his aim. He looked confused- probably because of how she seemed to him to have appeared out of thin air. _"You could get hurt."_

Tanya laughed heartily. _"I don't think so, Charlie."_

"_Do I know you?"_ he asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"_No,"_ she replied. _"You don't know me, but I know Bella."_

"_Look, miss. You really ought to head out of these woods. This is no place for a lovely lady to be running about. These woods are usually full of dangerous animals and so forth, along with hunters. You wouldn't want to get scratched up or shot at, would you? Tell me your name and I'll tell Bella you said hi."_

"_You aren't going to have the opportunity to pass a message along to your daughter," _she smiled cruelly.

"_What do you mean?"_

She ran up to him and stood face to face with him. She grabbed his rifle, tossing it aside. She lifted him by his neck and sunk her teeth into his shoulder. She ripped at him, tearing through his hunting jacket with ease. As her venomous bite tore through his flesh, he let out a deafening cry.

"_Please, please," _he whimpered pathetically as she drained his tensed body of his precious blood very, _very_ slowly. _"Please… stop… please…"_

She tossed him to the ground as if her were nothing more than a ragdoll.

"_Your filthy little mixed daughter thinks she can take away someone I love? That she can _steal_ him from me? Well, two can play at that game. I swear not to stop until every man she loves is dead or destroyed!"_

She kicked him, sending his weak frame flying into the trunk of a tree. He lay there listless, struggling for each random intake of air he could get at first then breathing so lightly that it _appeared_ he had stopped altogether. Tanya ran off, laughing as she went. I could still make out the tiny flicker of life in his eyes as Joan and the kitchen table came back into view.

"Alice?" Joan asked. Her hand was on top of mine. "Alice?" she called again.

"Joan!" I gasped. "Bella's father!"

**EPOV**

We were nearly home at last!

Everyone was rambling on as we ran, excited about making plans for the new system of authority that would be implemented throughout our secret world. The Wild Cards were each thrashing their tightly woven linen bags against the trees as we went. I heard the cries and complaints of the moaning heads which were inside. Rose and Emmett kept going on making snide jeers at the heads, mocking them and making jokes about their situation to humiliate them. They were definitely keeping the Princes and the Wolves entertained.

"It will be nice to be home," Esme said to Carlisle.

He smiled back at her.

"Perhaps your family would consider staying with us for awhile?" Esme asked Carmen.

"It would do us some good, I think, to be around those we love so much and who love us too," Carmen said, nodding her head.

Eleazar was agreeing with them as Carlisle was inviting Adalfieri and the others to stay with us for awhile too so that we could all make plans together as to how our secrets should be kept from the world and what exactly should happen when certain vampires or groups of vampires tried to threaten our existence by exposing it.

We were only ten minutes away from home at the most when Jasper's phone rang. We all slowed down as he stopped to answer it.

"Hey darlin'," he said. "We'll be home in just a few minutes. I'm real excited to see… Wait, honey. Now slow down a second… What do you mean about all this?"

Alice was whispering into the phone so that we wouldn't be able to hear all that was being said. However, I could still hear Jasper's panicked thoughts.

"I'll be the one to tell her," Jasper said into the phone while turning toward Bella.

"Tell me what?" Bella asked.


	30. Embrace

**BPOV**

Such warm feelings surrounded all of us as Esme invited our _extended family_ to stay with us all for awhile. I was hoping they would all want to stay at least until after the little ladies were born.

However, those warm, fuzzy feelings were short-lived. It all started when Jasper stopped to answer his phone. I was on his left and Edward was on my left. Jasper was at first excited to hear the voice on the other line, but just like the warm, fuzzy feelings, that excitement didn't last long.

I'll never forget the way his tone turned to panic: _"Wait, honey. Now slow down a second… What do you mean about all this?"_

Edward's expression spun from curious to stunned. I couldn't help but feel the intensity of Jasper's stare before even looking at him. I remember _hearing_ him before _seeing _him, yet I knew exactly how his face would look.

_"I'll be the one to tell her,"_ he'd said into the phone.

Furrowed brow; wide eyes; sadness radiating from the core of his soul…

"Tell me what?" I asked, turning slowly toward the direction of his sorrowful voice and mournful emotion.

"Please," Edward whispered to his woebegone brother. "Be very careful with this."

"With what?" I asked Edward.

His face matched Jasper's and I couldn't stand the silence that stretched between us.

I turned again to Jasper, "With _what_?"

"Bella," Jasper said, heading toward me with open arms, enveloping me in a tender embrace.

I thought his pensive melancholy was strong from a few feet away as it was; I was _not_ prepared for how the despair amplified with his actual touch.

I pushed him away from the emotional pain being too strong to bear.

"Just tell me what's going on, Jasper," I said, looking downward.

"You have to be strong when I tell you these things, Bella," he warned. "We all love you. You must remember that. We're here for you."

"What's happened?" I asked. "Is it the girls? Are they alright?"

My first thoughts turned to Jen, Angela, Kathy, Kari and Leah. I was afraid that there had been some tragic accident at the house. I was not prepared yet to hear what the real matter actually was.

"It's Charlie," Jasper said slowly.

"Charlie?" I heaved. "What is it? What about him? Please, just tell me. What has happened, Jasper?"

I leaned into him, grabbing his shirt with both of my hands, trembling. It was as if I was begging him to make the terrible fright go away. Jasper wrapped his arms around me again, placing his chin on my forehead as I sobbed into his chest.

The heads in the linen bags were laughing; rejoicing in the fact that something terrible had happened. Natalie and Samantha twirled the bags around, crashing them into the trunk of a large tree.

"Shut up, you nasty shits," Natalie warned the heads.

"You think you're in for something terrible?" Samantha asked the Volturi and Pahandus. "You don't even know what _real_ torture can be until you get us pissed at you. You'd be better off if we were in a lighthearted mood. It won't sting as terribly."

Again, they twirled the linen bags around, crashing them into the tree trunk.

"Tell me," I told Jasper. "Tell me what it is."

"Charlie has been attacked," he said flatly.

"Who attacked him?" I asked immediately, without even having to think about how to respond.

He sighed and looked around, then ran his fingers through his hair. He was obviously afraid to tell us all who did it. I looked up at him, staring him in the eyes and began to cry again.

"Who did it?" I asked more loudly. "Who attacked my dad?"

He looked at Carmen, then down at his feet.

"Tanya," he said quietly.

"Tanya?!" I screamed. "Did you say _Tanya_?"

He nodded his head while still staring down at his feet.

I heard a somber moan from Carmen, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. I wasn't angry with her. Still, how could this have happened? How could we have not seen something like this happening? Our greatest mistake was in assuming that Tanya would stalk off quietly to some remote part of the world and leave us all to be. We should have known better.

"What do I do with that?" I asked. "How can I respond to this?"

Carmen stepped forward, reaching her hand toward my shoulder but afraid to actually touch me. I believe that she felt just as awkward at Charlie's attacker being someone she'd taken in as a daughter as I felt at hearing that someone had just attacked my father while her mother was standing in my presence. I wanted to cry out with rage and swear revenge against Tanya. I couldn't allow my honest emotions to push forth… I felt the burden of their weight as they caught themselves somewhere between the pit of my stomach and in the depth of my throat. The sobs were hardly audible as my shoulders racked forward and backward with the true anger I felt and the mental and emotional torment that flowed through my soul.

"There is no doubt as to what must be done," Carmen said, nodding her head at me very slowly. "I know, Bella. I know she must be stopped. I know she cannot be allowed to go on."

As her words hit my ears, the audible pangs of my bereavement leapt out of my mouth. I cried loudly and I cried firmly.

"Where is he now?" I asked. "Is he dead?"

"We don't know the answer to either of those questions," Jasper said, hugging me again.

I felt pure pity from him at this time of crisis. Instead of pushing him away again I returned his hug, pressing myself tightly to him. I felt Edward enclose me, pushing his nose into the back of my neck as he held himself to me as well. I cried a moment longer before I finally sniffled and wiped my eyes against Jasper's shirt.

"How can we find him?" I asked. "Where was he attacked?"

"It was in the woods less than a mile or so from his home," Jasper answered.

"We will find him," Edward said, turning me toward him and embracing me.

"We must keep going," Jasper said. "I'm so sorry Bella, but we _have_ to."

"I know," I said, sniffling again. "I know."

We kept running toward the small town that was my father's home his entire life. I hoped and prayed that we would be able to find him. All these images of _him_ walking me down the aisle instead of Carlisle flooded into my mind and I felt the stab of regret pierce my insides as I wished I just told my father about my marriage.

_I should have been forthright with him. I should have been wholly honest, but I wasn't. Now I don't know if he'll ever be able to know Edward as his son. I don't know if he'll be around to experience the birth of his own granddaughters. It's all because _I_ was selfish and intimidated by what _others_ would say of me… I never stopped to consider what my own father might have said… how he might have _felt_._

"Don't do this to yourself," Edward said.

"Do what?" I asked.

"I can hear you," he admitted. "I can hear you through _them_." He motioned to either side of us where the Wolves were running.

"I don't know how to _not_ think these things," I cried.

We continued to run, bypassing the stop that would have been the Cullen's house. We ran to the house where I would have spent all of my life if my mother hadn't left Charlie. If she hadn't longed for something out there, away from him. I felt bitter all of a sudden, as if realizing for the first time that I had been separated from my father for most of my life because of the wanderlust of my mother.

"Don't think those things about her," Edward whispered as we stopped in front of Charlie's house. "Renee is your mother."

"I should have been with my father," I cried. The tears were spilling down my cheeks and my eyelashes tried to stick to my cheeks when I blinked. "We shouldn't have left him."

"_You _didn't leave him. That wasn't a choice that _you_ made," Edward advised.

"I wish I could have told him how much I love him," I said, trying to calm myself down and breathe well enough, but I couldn't. The ache in my throat was beginning to make my head hurt and all I could think to do was continue to cry.

"You still might have that opportunity," Edward said. "I can hear a faint call."

"And I can _feel_ it," Jasper said.

They began to walk into the woods. Neither one of them guided the other; they were led purely by the thoughts and feelings they perceived. They were both heading in the exact same direction, never straying from one another.

"Charlie?" I yelled.

"Call to him again," Edward said.

"I can feel him more than before," Jasper said.

"Charlie?" I cried out.

I followed behind Edward and Jasper, continuing to call out to my father, hanging on desperately to the hope that he was still alive.

"Charlie?" I called again.

"He wants to call back to you, Bella," Edward said.

"He is in so much physical pain," Jasper cried. "But, I think his heart is still beating. He's alive, but not changing yet."

The two of them ran forward, followed closely by me and then by the others. We ran a bit further into the darkness of the woods.

"Here!" Edward cried, motioning to me to hurry. "I can _hear_ him right over here."

I stepped ahead of Edward and walked forward, searching for Charlie's body. I was terrorized when I saw the condition he was in. He was bruised and bleeding, looking as if he'd already died. The lower half of his body was covered by brush and leaves.

"Dad!" I shouted, rushing to him and kneeling down beside him.

I pulled the branches and leaves away, revealing the lower half of his body. His legs were obviously broken. So were both of his arms. His middle section was covered in blood and his eyes were closed. I could see that his lids were pulsing. He was trying to open them; trying to see me.

"Dad?" I asked, meekly. "I'm here, dad."

I wanted to touch him- to comfort and sooth him, but I was afraid of laying a hand on him. I was afraid that he might break more than he already had.

"I'm so sorry, dad," I begged him- for forgiveness and for his love.

"He is thinking that you don't have anything to be sorry for, Bella," Edward said, kneeling down beside my father and next to me.

"Oh, but I _do_," I cried. "I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so sorry that you had to find out about my world this way. I'm sorry I've kept it all a secret from you, but I was afraid you wouldn't want to know about this… afraid you wouldn't understand. I didn't know… I couldn't think of _how_ to _tell_ you…"

"Tell him what? He wonders what you wanted to tell him," Edward mediated.

"I'm not how I used to be. It's not just that I've grown up, but I've _changed_. I'm not the way you think I am."

"He doesn't understand what you mean."

"I'm not human anymore, dad. I'm… something else. I'm afraid you won't believe me… or that you won't _want_ me for a daughter anymore… if you know. I'm still afraid to tell you, even though I only regret not telling you before."

"He wants you to know that you don't have to worry about those things. He will believe anything you have to tell him and he will _always_ want you for his daughter. You are the most precious thing in his world. He wants to know what it is that you are afraid to say."

"My body, dad… it's not a human's body anymore. I've been mixed with werewolves and I've been bitten by vampires. I know it sounds incredible, dad, but it's _true_. The Quileutes are werewolves. The Cullens are vampires. I'm mixed between both of them."

I looked down suddenly when I heard a faint gasping from his mouth.

"What is it?" I asked Edward. "What is happening?"

"He's laughing," Edward said with astonishment.

"He doesn't believe me," I sulked. "I knew…"

"No," Edward interrupted. "He _does_ believe you. Deep down, he's always known. He's been familiar with the legends of Billy's tribe since his boyhood and he's always believed in the magic of their people. He said that he knew something was different about my family since the day we moved here. He's noticed the way Billy's hated us without ever even knowing us. He's always wondered if the legends involved _us_."

I breathed in sharply, surprised that my always level-headed dad knew of and believed in the legends of the Quileute people. I was also stunned that he had made these assumptions about the Cullens. I just couldn't get past seeing my father as this fact-only – even faithless – man. To talk about things like faith or magic… it would have been severely awkward. I was seeing this ruptured man before me in a new light… in a way I'd never imagined him before.

"You?" I asked Charlie.

"He says he's no dummy. He says he knows there's more out there in the world than only the things we know as facts. He's not at all surprised, either, to find that _you_ of all people got mixed in with all of this stuff. He says it's just his luck as being your father."

"What is going to happen to him now?" I asked the inevitable question. "He's been bitten by Tanya. He's not dead. What is going to happen to _his_ body?"

"Left untreated," Carlisle said, stepping forward, "He will become a vampire."

"Untreated?" I asked. "Is there a way we can remove the venom from him?"

"No," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "I'm afraid his flesh is too terribly damaged. There is only one other option for him."

"What is it?" I asked.

"He can become like _you_," Jake said, stepping forward, completely naked.

Rose removed one of Emmett's layering t-shirts and handed it to Jake to cover himself where he needed to most.

"I don't know how to make that decision," I said. "I don't know what _he_ would want."

I stared down at Charlie, trying to imagine myself in his shoes. It was too difficult a task. I had learned more about this man in the last two minutes than I had ever realized there was to learn within my entire life thus far.

"What do you want?" I asked him. "If you are like me, you will appear human. You will have a beating heart. You will have your tan flesh. But you will never age. You will be as you are forever. If you are a vampire, you will thirst after blood- most of all human blood. You will be pale and cold. Either way, though, you will live forever. I might mention, though, that as a vampire, you will sparkle in the sunlight. That's the telltale sign that you are different from humans."

I looked at Edward, awaiting my father's answer.

"He says he doesn't want to sparkle."

I laughed at that. "He doesn't want to sparkle, huh?" I asked. "He might have said he didn't want to thirst after human blood… but he doesn't want to sparkle? That's the reason then, huh?"

"He says he has built up a tough image in the community that he needs to protect. He says that sparkling won't help that."

I laughed again.

"Let's make it happen," I said.

I turned to Jake.

"Me or you?" Jake asked me.

"_Me_?" I asked, stunned.

"Yes, _you_. If you want, because you have the same authority as I do, you can be the one to do this."

"I…" I stuttered.

"Charlie wants it to be you," Edward said.

"A knife," Jake said to the group.

Adalfieri pulled out a silver blade from the right breast pocket of his tattered suit. The cloth had been torn and dulled from the battle just hours ago, yet the blade of the knife shone purely under the frail light that glistened through the canopy of the trees.

I held out my hand and took the knife.

"How?" I asked Jake.

"Cut here," he said, touching my left bicep.

I did as he instructed.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Pour it into his wounds," he answered.

Again, I did as he said.

"Now what?" I asked again.

"Close your eyes," he said, "And _feel_ how much you love him. Know that you want him around you forever and know that you will die inside if he ever leaves you."

I felt the tears well up in my eyes once again.

"Is that how you felt?" I asked him. "For _me_ once?"

He smiled shyly and turned away. He stood up, dropped Emmett's shirt to the ground and phased back into his wolf form.

As he phased, he couldn't help but reveal the secrets. He _had_, in fact, felt that way for me once. That was the secret magic of this act… the most secret way was the most obvious and powerful way… to _love_ someone so much and to share the magical blood with them to keep them- to cut from your own flesh and give it to them, hoping they will want the same things you want… hoping there might be a small seed of feeling that will grow into the way that you feel.

I closed my eyes and once again did as Jake instructed. I looked down at my father's body, wishing for him to always stay with me.

"I want you to be with me forever, dad. I never want to lose you. The thing I've feared most about being what I am is that I would have to watch you die one day; that I would have to arrange your funeral and lay you deep in the ground and never be able to see you again. I need you, dad. I need you to stay with me. You are going to have two granddaughters. They are already on their way. I was so afraid to tell you… that Edward and I… he is your son now. He is my husband, dad. I love him. I've loved him since I first saw him… and I'll always love him. We've married, dad. I was afraid to tell you, as I was so afraid to tell you so many things… but I _need_ you to know these things. I can't go on without you knowing, and I can't go on without you living. Please stay, dad. Please stay with me and with Edward and with your granddaughters? Please?"

Many moments passed by as I looked on at Charlie's body. Slowly, he was beginning to heal. Slowly, he was beginning to move his fingers. The lids of his eyes were beginning to lift and my heart leapt when he blinked them open and was aware that he was with me and I was with him. I felt whole as I began to embrace the fact that being complete with the ones I love is what leads me out of fear rather than into it... it's what would have led to my happiness and well-being all along!

"Dad!" I said, falling on top of him to hug him.

"Bells," he said, wrapping his arms around me to meet my embrace.

"I love you, dad," I cried into his neck.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"I am so sorry about everything I've never told you before. I wish you didn't have to find out this way."

He hugged me tighter and I reveled in the fact that my wish had come true. I had a second chance to tell my father how much I loved him. I had a second chance to be completely forthright with my father and tell him _everything_.

"Just never lie to me again," he whispered in my ear. "Whatever you are feeling… whatever you are planning… whatever happens, just please, Bells, _please_… never keep secrets from me. I'm your father and I will understand what you need from me… whatever the circumstances may be. You got it?"

I nodded my head and kissed his cheek.

"I promise," I said. "I really, really, _really_ do promise, dad. I will never keep secrets like this from you ever again. I love you so much. I'm so happy that I've had the opportunity to tell you everything. And I'm so happy that I'll never lose you, dad!"

"I'm so happy, too. Now tell me," he said as he sat up and looked between me and Edward. He gripped Edward's shoulder and my shoulder, _embracing us both_ as he asked, "What is all this I hear about a marriage and two granddaughters being on their way?"


	31. Restoration

**EPOV**

It seemed like a shabby way for Bella and her father to spend their Christmas.

Well... _shabby_ in that it was definitely _not_ how Charlie had envisioned the holidays with his one and only daughter... and her _secret husband_ and _vampire friends_, I might add.

Charlie spent most of Christmas Eve on the couch at my family's home, surrounded by strangers, engulfed in a culture that was completely bizarre to him. I could feel, through Jasper, that he was mostly curious and not at all afraid. I assumed he would have taken the news of our secret completely differently than he had. From the few muffled thoughts of his that I could make out, I came to the conclusion that he saw no reason to go for his shotgun, concerning the relationship between his daughter and myself. It would be understandable for a father to have the urge to kill the man who stole his only daughter away from right under his nose. I guess he figured a bullet wouldn't do the trick anyway. That, and he seemed genuinely happy that Bella decided to make me such a permanent fixture in her life.

Since his less-than-expected change, we had all taken turns in group search parties, scattering ourselves throughout the area looking for any trace of Tanya. We didn't want to let our guard down. On the other hand, this _was_ Christmas Eve. It was nice to have everyone inside the house for the first time since we had arrived.

"Shall we all take turns opening just _one_ present?" Alice asked everyone.

We were all throwing tinsel on the twenty foot tree in the living room, decorating gingerbread houses, and, in Charlie's case, getting some much needed rest.

"We ought to, I suppose," Carlisle agreed.

Those of us who had been working on decorating the tree throughout the day had to be very careful so as not to step on the many beautifully wrapped gifts stacked around it. With the almost two days between our return home and hanging the stockings we had all managed to take turns rushing out and sneaking home gifts for everyone. Esme and the other girls managed to decorate enough stockings to go around for everyone. The only problem was finding a place to hang them all.

"Let me see," she mumbled, carrying a large basket of them out to the living room. She listed off the names on each of the stockings as she handed them to Jasper and I to hang on the mantel: "Bella, Edward, Carlisle… _me_," she smiled, "Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Charlie… _the twins_," she smiled again, "Eleazar, Carmen, Garrett, Kate, Jake, Jen, Embry, Kathy, Seth, Kari, Quil, Leah, Angela, Natalie, Samantha, Adalfieri, Vico, Alessio, Ambrogio, Brizio, Casimiro, Damiano, Eligius, Ezzelin, Fedele, Sansone, and Terenzio."

Not all of the thirty-eight stockings fit, of course. We ended up hanging some of them along the wall.

"I guess you two will just have to fill in the holes you made and paint over the patches after the New Year," Esme sighed happily.

I could tell, even without Jasper magnifying her emotions, that she was simply beaming with joy at having such a large family all together for the holidays.

"Presents?" Alice asked again, hovering over them with eager anticipation.

"Yes," Esme chirped. "One present each will be just fine, I think."

Alice and Rose ran for the tree, handing to each of us the first they came across that had our names on them. They placed all of Joan's gifts in a separate pile. She decided to return to her family home to spend Christmas with her family, but she promised to return before the New Year with some of her family for us to meet and talk to.

Finally, Alice found one with Bella's name. She tossed it to Rose who walked it over to the couch where she sat with her father. Bella accepted the small box wrapped in shiny gold paper.

"Not that one," I said with a smile. "I already have hers picked out for tonight. I know just the one."

Rose and Alice exchanged glances and giggled.

"What?" Bella asked. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise that won't fit in your stocking, I'm afraid," I said, guiding her out of the living room and through the back door.

"Where are you taking me, Edward Cullen?" she teased playfully.

I loved it when she was flirty like that. She was so cute in her fuzzy green sweater and maternity jeans. She had sighed with a bit of frustration this morning when she discovered that she wouldn't be able to button her regular jeans. Alice and Rose carted in a load of maternity clothes. Alice rolled her eyes when Bella went straight for the jeans and sweater.

"_You haven't even looked at everything,"_ Alice had complained.

"_I don't need to," _Bella laughed, _"I know what I like. Thank you for the clothes."_

"_Well,"_ Alice said, crossing her arms, _"You can't really thank _me_ for the jeans and sweater. Rose insisted we buy them for you. I was against it. I was hoping I might be able to pick out your clothes for at least a few months. It was my only chance, you know."_

"_I'll wear one of the dresses tomorrow," _Bella promised.

Rose just smiled smugly.

"_Don't worry," _I said, comforting Alice, _"It won't be terribly long before you have two little dolls to dress any way you like. They won't be able to tell you no for at least some time. Probably a whole year, actually."_

Alice squealed with glee at that. I heard her mentally cataloguing all of the 'wardrobe options' she had already purchased for the twins. Thankfully, she didn't plan on dressing them identically. I had proof of that beforehand, actually. I accidentally tuned into one of her visions the previous day. She saw two little girls. Neither looked identical to the other, yet they were definitely both sharing a warm, cozy spot right now. I placed my hand over my wife's beautiful tummy and turned awestruck for the millionth time.

"I can't believe they're actually in there," I whispered.

She blushed and giggled. "Sometimes, neither can I."

"Shall we?" I asked, holding my hand out for her to take.

I guided her to the shop behind the garage. It was the one place I knew she wouldn't have gone for any reason since I started the little project. Rose and Emmett did most of the work as far as assembling everything goes, but _I_ took special care to be sure that each piece I ordered was an authentic original. I wanted everything to be perfect for her gift.

"Where are we going, exactly?" she asked.

"Like I said, I'm taking you to your present, my love."

"In the shop?" she asked skeptically. "Edward, what is this about? What did you get me for Christmas?"

I noted the worry in her voice.

"What is it that you _suspect_ I got you for Christmas?" I asked.

"Oh no! Please, tell me you didn't. Tell me you didn't get me a minivan! Oh, I just _knew_ it! I just knew this was coming…"

She began pacing back and forth, hiding her lovely face behind her sweater-covered hands. I couldn't help but laugh at what I knew would be one of my favorite memories for all time.

"Well," she huffed, "I'm glad _you _think this is amusing."

"Don't worry, love," I soothed her. "I didn't get you a minivan for Christmas. And even if I had planned on it, I'm sure Alice would have seen your reaction and stopped me. She probably would have cautioned me to opt for some decked out SUV instead."

"Why are we going into the shop, then?" she asked curiously.

"Your present is inside, like I said."

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. I loved it when she gave me that look.

"Okay then," she said. "Surprise me."

"I plan on it," I replied, opening the door.

The lights above us turned on as we walked in. There it was- with a giant green bow wrapped over it. I heard her gasp at the sight of it. She walked toward it very slowly, and then turned around toward me with tears in her eyes.

"I'd thought for sure you would have had this turned into one of those little compressed blocks of scrap metal," she laughed.

"It had crossed my mind," I admitted.

"What stopped you?" she asked.

"Knowing I would get to see the look on your face, just as it is, right now in this treasured moment."

I reached in my jacket pocket and pulled out the keys she had handed me shortly before we got married. I held them in my right hand, and grabbed her right hand with my left. I dropped the keys in the palm of her hand.

"Edward… I don't know what to say."

She was truly at a loss for words. Truly her truck was a symbol. It was the last thing she had that was all her own. Now it was _ours_, and perfectly restored to its original condition.

"How?" she asked. "How did you find time?"

"It is mostly due to Rose being such a fantastic mechanic," I confessed. "And Emmett helped too. There was one thing, though, that he refused to restore. I'm afraid you'll have to suffer the latest technology as far as the sound system goes. I ordered an original radio for it. He took one look at the thing before complaining that it wasn't ipod compatible. I have to admit, though, it took pretty much no effort on his part to talk me into ditching the older radio."

She smiled wide and wrapped her arms around my neck. I loved it when she did this. I felt her warm tummy press against me and again I was struck with wonder at how she and I managed to create two precious little lives.

"Thank you so much," she said, kissing my neck and along my chin.

I loved it when she did that, too.

"You are so very welcome, sweetheart. I'm so happy you are pleased with your gift."

"Oh, I am!"

She turned around to look at it again. She walked one full circle around the truck.

"But…" she wondered out loud, "Do you think the girls will fit?"

"Hmm, I think not. Are you thinking of trading it in for a minivan?"

She shot me a warning glance.

Sometimes, I loved it when she did that. This was one of the times I reveled in seeing it. This moment was truly delicious.

"No," she said seriously.

She laughed a little laugh and then looked down at her feet. I could see that her brow was knitted tightly and her mouth was a frown. I rushed over to her side.

"What's the matter, love?" I asked, scooping her into me and holding her.

"I… I just… I didn't even _think_ of a family car. What else haven't I thought of?"

I combed my fingers through her silky hair, tucking the strands behind her ears. There was nothing I could think of wanting to do other than comfort her in her fears. I didn't need to catch a glimpse of Alice's visions now and then to be able to foresee that Bella was going to be an amazing mother.

"Sweetheart," I started, and she looked up at me with a gaze of pure trust.

I loved it when she looked at me that way.

"How can I make you believe me when I tell you that you are going to be the best mother there has ever been?"

"The best there has _ever_ been?" she asked skeptically.

"I know you are nervous, love, but that is only because you care so much. They were not planned. That is true. But they _are_ wanted. And whatever comes along, we will deal with everything as a husband and a wife; a mother and a father. We'll be united in all that we do, and we'll let our love for one another and for these beautiful girlies guide the decisions we make. We have nothing to want for as far as the world goes. And, we have nothing to want for as far as all the things that money can't buy either. You have my love and support. We have a very large, loving family who supports us emotionally. Really," I smiled, "We have it all!"

"Including a bitter enemy," she mumbled, looking down again.

"Bella," I said, "I promise you… I swear to you, my love, that you and our daughters will be safe from Tanya. We will keep looking, and eventually, we _will_ find her. I swear to you that when we do, we will destroy her. That is all there is to it. You needn't worry about these things."

"But the threats she made…"

"What she told your father, about coming after more of us, was nothing more than a pack of empty lies. She cannot touch us. She already knows that, which is why she is nowhere to be found. That is why _we_ must find _her_. She already knows where we are. And we're not going to pack up and go on the run over one crazy, malicious, jealous whore's bluff."

"Okay," she said. The word was muffled as she pressed her face into my chest.

"I promise you these things because I know that I _can_, Bella. I know that I can keep you safe between now and when we burn Tanya's rotten corpse. I know that our girls will be safe."

"And the rest of our family?" she asked.

"They will also be safe, love. I know I can promise you these things. I know I can."

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you too, Bella. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

I guided her to the driver's side of the truck.

"Would you like to hop in?" I asked.

"I'd love to," she giggled all of a sudden.

I was so happy to hear the pleasant sound of her genuine laughter.

"Um, also," I added, "We may have added one more update. It's nothing too big or anything. I just thought it would be more convenient for you to have keyless entry. It's not like it's _cutting edge_ technology or anything. But the original wouldn't have had it, and I just…"

She smiled and nodded her head once as she pressed the button on her keychain. I opened her door for her as soon as I heard the locks click up, and then ran around to the passenger's side. I slide in and pulled her toward me so that we sat in the center of the truck. I looked up and felt that her eyes followed mine until we were both looking at the mistletoe I tacked above us.

"You sure planned ahead, Mr. Cullen," she said.

There was that playful, flirty tone again. I smiled and leaned in for my much-deserved Christmas kiss. I was delighted when she didn't stop me as I laid her down on the seat and slid her sweater over her head.

"I know they're probably not as attractive as my regular jeans," she said while looking down at her jeans, blushing a little.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I insisted, "If anything, I think they're _sexier_ than any jeans I have ever seen before."

She laughed as I slid them down and tossed them away.

"So tell me, husband: did you plan all of this tonight? I mean, us here, now, and all..."

I held myself over her and smiled. "I could have parked it in the driveway where everyone could see," I replied. "But I didn't."

She giggled again as she unbuttoned my shirt and jeans.

"We may _have_ to buy a minivan someday," she sighed.

"I'll probably hang a mistletoe in that, too," I teased.

Her eyes were bright with laughter and her smile was wide. She was absolutely perfect in this moment: more perfect than any gift I could think to give her. I simply made it possible for her beloved rust dumpster to be restored to its original – plus some – glory; however, Isabella Marie Swan gave me the greatest gift of all: my very life. Everything was about her and what she carried within her.

"You are my life now," I smiled as I thought of my three girls.

...

A/N: There are a few chapters left on this story. Don't worry; our heroes are going to catch Tanya and destroy her. Edward's promise to Bella will definitely be kept. Additionally, I guess now would be as good a time as any to announce this: I've decided to make a third story to go along with _The Secret_ and _Forthright_. I will finish this story first, of course, and _More_ before I officially begin the project. I have had a ton of ideas for the third story, and at last I have decided on _the one_ to hone in on and go with. I think it will be an exciting tale! I have most of the outline finished already and a chapter or two drafted up. It's where I've been all week, actually. I was trying to decide if I should hurry and finish with this story or make a third. After much consideration I have come to the conclusion that there is more than enough excitement and detailed plot elements to justify a third and final book. I hope you've enjoyed this story enough (and will continue to enjoy it until its final completion) to consider reading yet another one. ;D I've drafted two endings for _Forthright_, though I will only post one of them. The other I will salvage for "scrap" later on. The alternate ending has a lot of fun, rich dialogue and I don't want it to go to waste. I have a strange emotional attachment to all of the stuff I write, even if I can't find a place for it or am not particularly pleased with it; in fact, I think I may have a slight hoarding problem in that I keep every single thing I write in a miscellaneous file. I'm sure that sounds weird, but anyway… it may take several months, but I have promised myself that I will find a way to reuse everything in some other story; probably one I haven't even thought to start yet, lol.

As always: Happy Reading,

Stephanie


	32. Exchange

**EPOV**

"Run a little faster, pussy," I called back to Jasper.

I knew that would piss him off just right.

"Whatever, douche bag," he snickered in reply.

He was about fifty feet behind me, falling further and further back as we continued our run.

"What did you get Alice?" Emmett asked, falling back to run really closely beside him.

"Hey, ladies," I yelled over my shoulder, "Are we here to compare handbags or to hunt like _men_?"

Jasper pushed Emmett out of his way and ran as fast as he could to try to catch up with me.

"Can you _feel_ that?" I laughed at him.

"What? Your fear that I'll catch you?" he nagged at me.

"No! For God's sake- _never_ that. You seem to be confused," I badgered him, "What I'm asking is can you feel the _pity_ I have for you because you can't keep up?"

He narrowed his eyes and laughed. He tried harder than ever to reach me so he could knock me down or push me into a tree.

"And as for _you_," I called to Emmett, "Don't you think it's a little late to be worrying about your Christmas present to Rose? I mean, we're opening gifts in less than five hours."

"Yeah, I know," he whined, "I got her the things I usually do: jewelry, shoes, and stuff like that. But I wanted to get her something more… _unique_ this year."

"So, what is it?" Jasper asked, still trying his hardest to catch up to me.

"Awe, that's really sweet," I smiled sarcastically before Emmett even had the chance to say out loud what his gift was.

"Hey, not all of us can read minds around here," Jasper complained. "Come on, brother; tell us what you got your girlie."

"I got her a baby stroller," he admitted.

"What for?" Jasper asked, confused.

"Well, I know she's all into this whole baby thing, you know? And I wanted her to feel like she really had a part in it, so I got her a two-seater stroller designed for twins and had _Aunt Rosie_ embossed on the little pushy thing, you know, where she puts her hands to push it and stuff? I just thought she would really appreciate it. I know it's a thing she would want for herself, but she would probably never buy it or anything. So, I got it _for_ her."

"Really, man, that _is_ a good gift," I said in as manly a way as I could manage. I didn't want to get _too_ far off and start hugging or anything.

"Are you two mother hens going to start swapping diaper rash tips or something?" Jasper teased. "Oh, wait! I know! You're going to share expert tips on breastfeeding, right? Hey Emmett, while you're at it, maybe you should go all _Meet the Fockers_ on us and get one of those contraptions that Greg's father-in-law designed so that a man could breastfeed a baby! You know the one?"

We all laughed at the idea.

"Jasper, you weirdo," I said, still laughing.

"So then," Emmett asked Jasper, "You didn't get Alice anything… _baby-related_?"

"Why would I need to go and do that?" he replied to Emmett. "Haven't you seen the piles of stuff she's brought home already? We might have to build on to the house just to accommodate your daughters' never-ending onesie supply," he said, turning to me now. "I think each of them has one for every second of every day until they're sixteen! However…" he added, "I _did_ get your girls their first pairs of cowgirl boots. Start 'em young- that's how you make a cowgirl. And… I may have added to the onesie crisis by buying a pair that say 'Uncle Jasper's Little Cowgirls.' Thought of that myself, you know. I mean, I designed it and all. But it was Alice who went the whole nine yards with it and picked out some matching jean skirts and pony jackets with fringe. I want it on the record that I had nothing to do with _that_."

"What you did for Rose was really nice," I assured Emmett after Jasper was done giving us crap.

"Yeah," Jasper said, finally giving way to his soft spot long enough to agree. "Rose is really gonna' like it."

Emmett grinned wide with satisfaction.

We ran a bit further until we were in a large clearing. We could smell our big game a little further east and decided to run that way.

"I can't wait to sink my teeth into something fat and juicy," Jasper said.

"Me neither," I agreed.

We turned toward the delicious scent, but stood still when we saw three others approach us.

"You might have to wait a little longer," said a woman with wild red hair.

She was paler than usual, even for being a vampire.

Two men trailed behind her. Well, not _men_, per se. I could tell by their lack of heartbeats and cold, red irises that they were no longer human just like her.

"Why's that?" I asked, stepping forward a bit.

"We have a message for you," claimed the pale, white male in tattered jeans and a frayed blue t-shirt. His blond hair was tied back and his feet were bare, like the other two's.

"A message?" I asked. "From who?"

"From someone you know very well," said the dark-skinned one with dreadlocks.

I wondered if I was crazy at first, but I swear I could smell the faintest traces of Irena's scent on his worn, green t-shirt.

"Well," I said, scanning their thoughts, but finding no information that would benefit me in this moment.

It was strange that they seemed to know beforehand that they should block their thoughts. Did they know I could read their minds? Who would have tipped these strangers off to that fact?

I searched Jasper's mind, trying to steal a feel of what these three nomads were all about. Who knows what they were thinking, but they certainly _felt_ confident.

"Go on," I prompted them.

It was the red-head who stepped forward.

"Edward Cullen?" she asked me.

"I am he," I replied, nodding my head once.

"If you want your baby to live, you will kill the man called Charlie."

"_Excuse_ me?" I asked her.

"I'm not going to repeat myself," she said. "Look at it this way: out with the old, in with the new, right? He was going to die anyway. His attacker thought he already had, actually. If you wanna' protect your filthy whore and her dirty, mixed babies then you will do this thing required of you."

"Tanya," Jasper growled.

He was right. Who else would send messengers with such an outrageous request? This message had her bitchy mark stamped all over it. I saw in my peripheral vision both of my brothers crouching down, getting ready to fight.

"Yes. She is the one who asks us to bring you this edict," she said coolly.

"Edict?" Emmett asked sarcastically. "What _authority_ does she pretend to have that would allow her to send us a fucking _edict_? Does she just think she's the queen of the whole god-damned earth or something? What nerve!"

I felt, through Jasper, a slight twinge of anger from the red-head as Emmett suggested that Tanya thought of herself as the queen of the earth.

"We will _not_ be killing Charlie," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Very well," the red-head said, turning around to leave.

The other two turned to go with her.

"How do you know Tanya?" Jasper called after them.

The blond-haired male paused and turned back around to face us. The other two also stopped and turned.

"It's funny how it's a small world after all, you know?" the blonde asked.

"I'm assuming you know her sister, Irena, too?" I asked the one with dreadlocks specifically.

I felt, through Jasper, a bit of surprise from him. I knew he had been around her just hours before. Not only did he stink with her traitor stench, but I also noticed a silvery-blond hair on his shirt. It was her exact color and length. There was no doubt in my mind they were involved in some way as an image of her embracing him flashed through his mind. It was gone in half a second and his guard was back up, but half a second was all I needed to confirm my suspicions.

"We do, in fact, know her," the red-head said flatly. "You know, though, to be completely honest with you, between the two sisters I only like Irena."

The other two nodded their heads.

"How about we make you a deal?" said the one with dreadlocks. "I know a way that we can make all your troubles disappear."

"How's that?" Jasper asked skeptically.

"Tanya will not stop until she causes your family to suffer greatly. She will not stop, even if you do destroy Charlie. She will still be after your family… _especially the baby_," he replied.

Baby. Just one. Tanya must not have realized that there were two of them.

"I figured as much," Emmett said bluntly. "She is a swindler, as everyone on our side is already aware."

"What is on your mind?" I asked the three strangers.

"We can bring you Tanya," the read-head offered.

"Just like that?" I asked. "No. It can't be _that_ simple."

"Well, we won't hand her over for _free_," she smiled wickedly. "Even Santa expects a plate of cookies, you know. However, we can offer you something you badly need in exchange for someone you wouldn't think twice about."

"Who is that?" I asked.

"Well… he's not so much a _who_ as a _what_ anymore," she snickered, "But anyway… he's really of no use to you in the condition he's in anyway."

"Who?" I pressed.

"It's Marcus' head we want," said the blonde.

I could hear the thoughts of my brothers. At first they wondered why these three would bother trading someone they claimed to know for a head. But then, it was the head of a member of the Volturi. On the other hand, what was Marcus anyway? He held no great authority while in office. He was the one that everyone wondered why Aro kept around. Caius, at least, had a taste for war and was willing to clean house when necessary. Aro was the king, as it was, and Caius his right hand man. The trade seemed to be to our benefit, but could it really be this easy?

"For what?" Jasper asked.

"For a keepsake," the red-head snickered. "What's it to _you_ anyway? You want Tanya or not?"

I looked between my two brothers as they looked at me. I knew that if I had any reasonable opportunity to strike Tanya down that I should take it. This seemed reasonable enough. Jasper pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me.

"Call them," he said.

I scrolled through his contacts and found the Wild Cards. I hit _call_ and the phone rang only once before Samantha answered.

"Jasper! Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed.

"It's me," I said.

"Oh, then… Edward! Merry Christmas! When are you going to be home? We baked about four hundred cookies this morning, but I don't know what for. Not that many of us eat food, even if it does smell yummy, and…"

"I need a favor," I said flatly.

There was a long pause.

"What is it?" she asked. "Is everything okay? You don't sound very merry for it being Christmas freaking morning and all."

"This is going to sound really strange, but… I need you to bring me something."

"Where are you?" she asked.

Her tone of voice became very businesslike all of a sudden. She was in her mafia mindset now, probably wondering what in the hell was going on.

"In the woods. Jasper and Emmett are with me. We have _visitors_. They know Tanya. They are willing to exchange her."

"For?"

"Marcus' head."

Another long moment passed where nothing was said. There wasn't even the sound of breathing on the other end. I took the phone from my ear and looked at the screen to make sure I hadn't lost the call or something. I was just about to ask if she was still there when she spoke.

"It's not that strange," she said casually. "I'll get Natalie and we'll bring you the head."

"Thanks," I said. "Run north and then veer east. We're in a clearing."

_Click_.

"You have thirty minutes," I told the three strangers.

They grinned as if they'd won a prize or something.

"Don't be late," Jasper said, shooing them off.

They turned and ran to the north.

Emmett, Jasper and I stood in the center of the clearing, waiting to do nothing but count the seconds as they passed.

I smacked Emmett on his shoulder as he started humming Shakira's _She Wolf_ in his head.

"Will you cut that out?" I asked him.

"I can't help it," he said. "That song always gets stuck in my head. Jen and the other wolf girls are always playing it when they come around. You _know _that! It's not like I _enjoy_ the song or anything."

Jasper lifted his brow as if to argue that last part of Emmett's statement. I started laughing and Jasper followed.

The smell of the herd we had been following finally dissipated after about twenty minutes. At this point we had no hope of finding which direction they would have run.

"I'm hungry," Emmett said after a few more minutes.

"It'll have to wait," Jasper mumbled.

"What do you think they want with Marcus' head?" I asked.

"Hell if I know," Jasper said, shaking his head. "Hell if I know."

…

A/N: Hello everyone! I have just two announcements:

I have just completed _Until Now_, for those of you who have been waiting for forever for me to get on with it. I had a difficult time deciding which ending to go with, but in the end I finally made up my mind and just did it! There are a few alternate endings, one of which I will be publishing for sure in an outtakes unit. Someday soon there will be a "story" that just pops up out of nowhere that has a bunch of deleted scenes, alternate endings, and scenes from other characters POVs. I hope you will enjoy it!

I have also started publishing a story called _Linger_. I think it's pretty neat.

Oh, and also, just so you know, _Meet the Fockers_ is the sequel to _Meet the Parents._ I'm not making up the breast feeding contraption. Anyone who's ever seen the movie is likely to laugh at remembering that scene! It's worth the watch if you're up for a comedy.

That's all! :D

Stephanie


	33. Ashes

**Jasper's POV**

I could feel the anticipation rolling off Edward in waves. If he was bothering to read my mind then he wasn't responding to it, as far as I could tell anyway. Then again, who knew what was running through _his_ head in that moment?

I, for one, was a little paranoid about crap like this. I know it was Christmas, but this all just seemed too easy to be real. I mean, really, it was just too big of a God-given grace to be true. Something deep inside of me was nagging at me, making me feel that this would come back to haunt us. On top of that painful nag I was reminded of the _fact_ that the three strangers were elated when Edward agreed to get them that filthy head. What could they have possibly wanted with something like that?

"They're almost here," Edward said.

He was pacing around: back and forth, back and forth. He was on edge now more than ever. He must have heard their minds approaching because I sure couldn't _hear_ them making any noise as they approached. All of a sudden, they were just… there.

"Get her arms, James," said the red-head. "Laurent, help me out here, you idiot," she complained to the one with dreadlocks.

James, who was holding Tanya's legs already, took her arms from Laurent. They had already been dismembered and were tied together. Her hands and feet were flailing around but she had no chance of breaking through the ties. If she only could have managed to get her limbs free, they would have dragged their way back to her midsection and reunited themselves.

"We've kept our end of the deal," the red-head said. "Now where's our head?"

"It's on its way," Edward said calmly.

He didn't give himself away, but _I_ knew that he was full of excitement and hate in that moment. He was probably eager to get this all over with: to destroy Tanya once and for all. I had recommended that we do this decades ago, but does anyone ever listen to the one having a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow? No. Just because I had a hard time abstaining from fresh human blood… well anyway, now things would finally be set right. She would finally pay for all the terrible things she caused our family to endure.

"_Where will we destroy her?"_ I asked Edward in my thoughts.

"Here," he muttered. "We can't take her home. Carmen…" he trailed off.

We both sensed that the three strangers, James, Laurent, and the red-head, were listening in. They must have had excellent hearing; even better than the average vampire. I don't think Tanya could hear us; however, her eyes were covered and a tight chocker around her neck prevented her voice from making any sound so that if she did want to say something, she wasn't able to anyhow.

We stood there for a few minutes when we heard Natalie and Samantha coming along.

"Oh dear, Marcus! Woops," laughed Natalie as she swung him into a large, moss-covered rock by his hair. He wasn't even in a bag now. "I hope you'll forgive me?"

Samantha laughed.

"I'll hate to have him gone, Natalie," she giggled. "Without him, the set just won't be complete anymore."

"There, there Samantha," Natalie pretended to comfort, "There are other heads to torture."

Marcus was silent. Despite having been brutally tortured these last several days and having just been swung teeth-first into a rock, he was grinning strangely. I shrugged it off. He was probably just happy to be away from these two and all their wicked methods of reminding him how much they hated all that he stood for.

Natalie and Samantha dropped their smiles and laughter immediately when the site of the three of us facing the three strangers came into their view.

"What's all this about?" Natalie asked. Her voice was forceful and intimidating. "Tell me what you want this head for."

"No," the red-head chimed with a smile. "That, I'm afraid, is _none_ of your business. If you have all that you need from us," she said, looking around, assessing the arms, legs and body of Tanya, "Then we will be taking our head and going. Pleasure doing business with you."

Emmett and I walked up to take the bundles of arms and legs while Natalie tossed the red-head the remains of Marcus. She grinned at him and he grinned back. They both laughed strangely.

As the strangers turned around to leave, the red-head giggled. She looked back to face us one last time.

"Who knows?" she said. "Maybe we'll see each other again one day?"

With that, they ran off.

Natalie and Samantha watched as Emmett and I dropped Tanya's arms and legs next to her body. We backed off as Edward approached her. We both understood that it would only be right to let him have his time with all of this.

"As I was saying before," he addressed me without looking at me, "We will have to do this here. We cannot take her back to the others on Christmas. It is hard on Carmen. Even though she understands what must be done, she played the role of Tanya's mother for so very long. It would be as if Esme had to endure one of us being destroyed. Would any of you put her through something like that?"

We both shook our heads, though he still never did turn to look at us. He must have already known what our answers would be. _Of course_ neither of us would put Esme through something like that. It was only right that we wouldn't expect Carmen to endure something like that either.

"So," Edward said, moving in on Tanya.

He unstrapped the choker from her neck. She gasped in as much air as she could, choking a bit with each attempt. He removed her blindfold. I could feel that he wanted her to _see_ what we were going to do to her. He didn't want to spare her from the minutest of horrific details. He continued to pace around her body in a wide circle.

"I'm not sorry," she whispered angrily.

His pacing halted suddenly.

"What was that?" he asked.

His emotions were… out of place, it seemed. I was feeling amusement from him, and yet, should he have been amused?

His odd feelings were confirmed as a grin spread across his face.

"I said," she snarled, "I'm not sorry! _Never_ was I sorry."

"I don't think you realize that I'm not looking for an apology, Tanya. It is far passed that point. No reconciliation can ever be made. You _do_ understand that, _don't you_?"

All the hate left her eyes and fear took its place.

"What of your mercy?" she whimpered. It was nearly comical; the way her voice turned so small all of a sudden.

"Honey," I answered, not being able to help myself at this point, "You're talkin' to the wrong people, and you know it."

"But… for Carlisle's sake? He would never be proud of his sons for stooping this low. Is killing me all you can do at this point? It shows weakness. It demonstrates your lack of character! You should show more patience… more _control_. Shouldn't you try to rehabilitate me first?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Tell me," Emmett said, stepping forward and kneeling down, "_Can _you be rehabilitated, Tanya?"

She nodded her head. "Yes," she insisted.

"She is _lying_!" Natalie said, rushing forward and pushing Emmett aside. "Tell _me_, Tanya. Tell _me _that you can be set right. Is there such a way for you?"

"Your eyes have a twinge of red," Samantha said, moving forward and leaning down to take a closer look. "I'm not going to give you shit about something like that," she snickered, "After all, _my_ eyes are always red, as you can see. But _yours_," she paused to think, "_Yours_ shouldn't be."

"What have you been _doing_?" Natalie asked our prey.

"I… I…"

"You… you…" Samantha mocked. "You _what_?"

"It's from the blood she swallowed when attacking Charlie," Edward answered for her.

His emotions turned angry now, as they probably should have been all along. No trace of being amused was left in him. He was reminded of the terrible things that Tanya had done; things which would never allow her to be qualified for rehabilitation of any sort.

"_This one can never be set right,"_ I encouraged him silently. _"I am confident that Carlisle, as well as everyone else, even Carmen, will understand why we did what we are about to do."_

Natalie and Samantha backed away from Tanya with satisfaction as Edward honed in on her.

"What do you want done with her, brother?" Emmett asked.

"We can't let her live anymore," he answered.

"People are only mean when they're threatened!" she cried out, groping at anything she could that might allow her to breathe another few seconds or so. "That's why I was mean! I was threatened by Bella! You must understand, Edward, that when you get threatened, you start looking out only for yourself. You've killed before. You know this!"

"I've killed," he said, "To protect others, and that is just what I am going to do now, Tanya. I'm looking out for my family." He leaned down and ran his fingers through her hair. "You die today. End of story." He twisted a section of her strawberry blond locks around his hand and jerked up, pulling the sample out of her scalp.

I noted that her bringing up his having killed before would normally have made my brother sympathetic. Not this time, though. Things that before would have made him embarrassed or squeamish were now routinely handled.

"Why?" Tanya screamed.

"This is to take back to Bella," he said, twirling her curly hair over her nose and down her cheek. "It is so she can be confident that your dead ass won't bother us anymore."

Again, Tanya screamed. Her emotions felt exactly how she looked: angry, betrayed, hopeless, disparaged, and undervalued.

Edward leaned down and caressed her face as if driving a nail of rejection through her flesh.

"This will hurt you," he whispered in her ear.

"It will?" she sniveled.

"Oh, _yes_. It will hurt you _very_ much."

I have to admit, he was a bit sick when it came to stuff like this. I've never seen it for myself, but I've _heard_ gruesome tales of how he used to emotionally torture the ones he offed.

"What was this worth?" she asked suddenly. Their faces were very close: the tips of their noses nearly touched. "What did they sell me for? What did you give them for me?"

"Not much," Edward answered. "Just Marcus' head."

Her features that had just been so strained with animosity and resentment turned soft for a second as a sort of understanding seemed to cross her mind.

"Oh," she whispered. "I see."

Edward stood up and turned his back to her.

"I _will_ see to the end of you all," she cackled wildly all of a sudden. "You," her eyes aimed at Edward, "Your bitch-wife, and your dirty little brats! _All_ of you!! Carmen, Eleazar… _all of you_!"

"Well?" Emmett asked.

"Burn her," he replied immediately, shoving Tanya's lock of hair into his pocket.

Natalie tossed us little boxes of matches.

"Always be prepared," she giggled merrily.

Samantha pulled a slender vile from her pocket and handed it to Edward.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Linseed oil," she said casually. "I thought you might want to be the one to… you know…"

"Thanks," he said, removing the top and pouring it over Tanya who was still laughing hysterically.

He poured it over her head and it dripped into her mouth as she laughed with it wide open. He drizzled it over her abdomen and across her loose limbs. We all struck our matches at the same time and tossed them over Tanya's body. She screamed from the terrible pain, but still laughed as she did so.

"I'll kill you!" she howled. "I'll kill _all _of you!"

We stood over her burning body, watching it shrivel up as moisture left her flesh. Her emotions were happy as she charred out of existence.

"So Samantha," Edward asked to probably pass the time, "Why don't you tell us about linseed oil?"

"Happily," she said, stepping away from the body. We turned toward her to listen. "Well, it's quite the fire hazard, actually. The oil oxidizes quickly, and the process is an exothermic reaction. This means that as the temperature of Tanya's burning body increases (as it surely will because the deeper into it goes, the dryer she is), the reaction accelerates, making this already excruciating experience that much more so."

"Very interesting," he replied.

"Indeed," she smiled at him.

We looked back at the flames, which had just gone out. Her body was finally gone, along with the vicious being who once dwelled withing it.

"Well, that should be the end of it," Edward said with a smile. "Merry Christmas everyone. Now, let's get home so we can open presents. I'll bet the others are wondering where we've gone off to."

We stepped over the remains of Tanya's body. Nothing endured, other than the powdery residue of matter that remains after something has been burned. The wind caught the ashes and scattered them through the sky.

We all felt, for the first time in so very long, feelings of absolute tranquility.

…

A/N: So, why did James, Victoria and Laurent want Marcus' head? I have the plot all mapped out, and I promise there is a _very good reason_. Additionally, I would like to give some _thank you points_ to sugunary for inspiring the name of this chapter's title in her review of Ch. 31. I saw the word and felt that it would be just perfect!! Thank you sugunary! ;D

Until next time,

Stephanie


	34. First Steps

**BPOV**

I heard the door to our little cottage bedroom close gently, and I turned over to see Edward sneaking his way across the room to the closet.

"Hey," I greeted him. He stopped in his tracks the way a little boy does when caught stealing gum from a little market. "What have you been up to this morning?"

"Up to?" he asked, removing his jacket and shirt, trading his clothes out for clean ones from the closet.

"Yeah. And _why_ do you smell so awful?" I sat up suddenly and sniffed the air. "Where have you been, Edward?"

"Well," he said, slipping a clean white dress shirt on. It wasn't yet buttoned. He glided over and sat down on the bed beside me. "I went for a hunt with Jasper and Emmett and found a little Christmas surprise along the way."

I could tell from the light in his eyes that he was excited, and he laughed a little.

"What? A surprise?"

"Yeah. That might be the best thing to call it, I think. I hope you won't be too mad?"

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck gently.

"Tell me, husband," I said gently, "_Why_ it is that you think I might be mad at you on Christmas morning?"

"Well," he said, bringing me to sit on his lap, "I think that you might have wanted to be there for it all, but…" He trailed off and paused. His brow was furrowed from what I assumed to be worry, and my stomach grew tense from thinking that he might be trying to decide how to tell me some kind of bad news.

"For what?" I asked at last, after the silence grew to be too much to bear any longer. "_What _would I have wanted to be there for?"

"We got Tanya this morning," he said quickly.

"_Got_ her? You mean…"

"Yup," he nodded, the excitement in his eyes returning full force.

He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a lock of her long strawberry blond hair. I took it immediately and held it up to my eyes to take in the reality of what he was telling me.

"She's dead," I said happily.

"Always was," he teased.

"But she's _gone_," I said, elbowing him in the ribs playfully. "You knew what I meant."

"Yes, love;" he said with a grin, "I knew what you meant."

I tossed the cruddy harlot locks to the bedside table, still in awe that she was really out of our lives for good. I threw my arms around Edward's neck and straddled him. I literally squealed with excitement.

"Oh, Edward! This is the _best_ Christmas present ever! It is more than anything I'd ever hoped to even dream of. Thank you so, _so_ much!"

"Well," he said, running his hands over my back, "If I'd have known that her being gone would have made you this happy, I would have done this months ago when she first arrived here."

"You would not have," I reproached him. "And I'm glad of that. I'm proud of you, Edward. You gave her the benefit of the doubt so many times and you extended the love you had for her family to her. You really were a gentleman to her."

"Well, not _today_," he reminded me.

"Okay. Not today. But you know, so what? She had it coming. After all, she threatened our family."

"Yes," he agreed. "That, she certainly did." He gave a little half grin, which melted me completely. "Bella?" he asked.

"Edward?"

"You know that there is _nothing_ that I wouldn't do to make sure that you and our girls are safe and happy, right?"

I nodded my head.

"Yes. I know."

"I really mean that. I really mean that there is _nothing_ I wouldn't do."

I leaned my face into his neck and resumed kissing him again.

"I'm glad your back," I said. "I can't wait for you to open your present."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not telling," I smiled into his shoulder, knowing he could feel it.

"Is it more mistletoe?" he asked hopefully.

"There will be plenty of time for _mistletoe_ after we open presents at the house," I said with another kiss.

"I _love_ kissing you," he said, kissing my neck and rolling his tongue over my shoulder.

Just then, I felt a leap in my womb.

"Edward!" I gasped, rejoicing in that he was there to be a part of the first time I had ever felt our daughters move inside of me.

"The babies," he smiled. "They're awake too, huh?" He pressed his hand gently against my tummy and waited to feel them again.

I laughed when they made another commotion.

"I think they know that Santa brought them presents," he teased.

"Shall we go open them?" I inquired.

"I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting."

"I know. They'll wonder why we haven't shown up yet…"

"Oh no," he interrupted, "I was talking about our girls."

Again, I laughed.

I knew he was being completely true in telling me that there was nothing he wouldn't do to see our daughters and me completely safe and completely happy.

…

"Just another twenty minutes or so," Alice smiled.

She urged us to hold off on opening the presents for just awhile longer. Jake and Jen were on their way. They had Billy with them. He decided to come over and spend a little bit of Christmas Day with all of us. Well, not so much to spend time with all of _us_ as to spend time with Charlie. He was still not on board with the treaty his own grandfather established being changed; however, he loved my dad like a brother. Additionally, he felt terrible about having left him all alone in the woods. He said he just knew that something was off that day. It wasn't his fault that Charlie was attacked by a vampire, but he didn't see it that way. Actually, it was better that Charlie was completely alone. If Billy had been with him that day, they probably _both_ would have died.

"If you guys don't start opening _my_ presents within twenty minutes," Samantha threatened, "Then I'm just going to start telling you what they are."

We laughed, but we also knew that it was true.

"They'll be here in ten," Alice confirmed. "We'll invite them in, offer them something to eat and drink and then get started opening presents right away. Promise."

"Maybe we can feed them some of those four hundred cookies?" Natalie chuckled.

Alice rushed to the door before Jake even had the chance to ring the bell. He was beaming with happiness at his father choosing to finally enter the home of the family with whom he made allies rather than enemies.

"Billy!" Charlie greeted, running to the front door. He helped Billy in and guided his chair next to where he was sitting on the couch. "I'm glad you could make it up for the holiday."

Billy looked around as if he couldn't believe a circus had somehow danced its way into the living room or something. It was obvious that he felt out of place with so many that he would consider _dangerous, vile__,_ _unnatural_ or _grotesque_.

"Yeah, well," he replied, making an attempt to smile at least, "Merry Christmas Charlie."

"Merry Christmas," my dad smiled back.

"Who are all these people?" Billy finally asked.

Everyone took turns introducing themselves to Billy as the presents were being passed out. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing the tale of how the Volturi were taken down once and for all, and heaven help me if I didn't catch him beaming with pride at hearing how brave his son was in battle. He even relaxed enough to joke around with Charlie, razzing him for looking ten years younger than before he was bitten.

"It's like magic," Charlie laughed. "I never thought I'd look this handsome again."

"I wouldn't call it _handsome_," Billy laughed.

"What would you call it then, Billy?"

"I don't know. Maybe plastic surgery? At least, that's the official story I'm sticking with if anyone happens to ask, which they _will_, by the way. I'll say Dr. Cullen did it. It's sad though," he continued to laugh, "That a tough guy like you let the social pressure get to you until you finally caved in and got a face lift."

"Yeah, yeah," my dad shrugged it off while laughing a little himself.

I decided to get up and head toward the kitchen. The delicious scents had been calling to me since I walked in the door. Jake must have had the same idea. Our paths crossed as we both headed for the same plate of cookies.

"So, what do you think of all this?" he asked, nodding toward my dad and his dad celebrating in the home of vampires on Christmas Day.

"Do you think he's really come around?" I returned his question with another.

"I think it's possible," he said. "After all, it's not like he's going to abandon Charlie. They go too far back."

"And the treaty?" I asked.

"He's still not happy about it, but a promise is a promise. I don't break them, Bella, as you are well aware. I feel confident that if Ephraim Black were alive today, he would have made the alterations to the treaty himself. It doesn't take a genius to see the clear advantages of teaming up with such faithful allies. I know the Cullens have the best in mind for our tribe, and in turn, we have the best interest at heart for this family."

"Stop talking like we're two separate families," Alice interrupted us. "As far as I, or any of us, is concerned, we are already of one mind. That makes us one big, happy family already. And as for your dad, Jake, I see him on board."

"You do?" he asked. "_Really_ Alice?"

She grinned and nodded her head. "I do," she answered. "Now, get out of this kitchen. You have a girlfriend to keep company."

She took my arm and we walked through the kitchen together, touring around all the trays of delicious snacks.

"See anything you like, mama-to-be?" she smiled.

I scoped everything out. "It all looks wonderful to me," I said.

"You know, I meant what I told wolf boy back there. I really _do_ see Billy on board with us in a coming day."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've seen him… walking," she said.

"Walking?"

She nodded her head once.

"How do you know it's not some miracle that is not related to him growing sudden tolerance for vampires?"

"He's with _us_ when he walks, Bella," she said. "Him coming today was only the first step of, literally, many."

I got the feeling that there was so much more she was not telling me, but decided to let it come to pass in its own time.

"So," she said, helping me load my plate up with fresh fruits and slices of every sort of pie, "What did you get Edward for Christmas?"

I smiled at her and laughed. "A new wallet."

…

A/N: Well, this is it. After this chapter there is an epilogue that will segue into the third story!

Until next time,

Stephanie

P.S. Yes, the reason Edward gets a wallet for Christmas is so that this story can loop back around and come full circle with the beginning of "The Secret." After all, it all started with a wallet.


	35. Celebrate

**BPOV**

I smiled at Alice's camera for the fiftieth time this hour.

"Okay," she encouraged, "Now say _cheese_ girlies! But this time, both of you look at the camera and don't throw cake at one another, or at your mommy."

Brook and Catie were smearing frosting from their first birthday cake all over their dresses and in their hair. Alice giggled as Jasper encouraged them.

"Their dresses," I began to complain, but decided to give myself a break. After all, a little frosting was just that: a little frosting.

"I think they look better with pink and purple sugar all over them," Jasper smiled. "Come here little lady," he said to Catie, picking her up and wiping her off with a wet paper towel. Her blond ringlets bounced as he carried her to the kitchen counter.

"Let me get that for you honey-bear," Emmett beamed at Brook who had her arms stretched out for him before he could finish his sentence. He picked her up and the frosting smeared all over his shirt as well. He didn't even notice.

"Well, there is no doubt these two are spoiled rotten," Rose laughed. "The guests for the party won't even be here for another twenty minutes, but I just _knew_ that these two," she pointed to Emmett and Jasper, "wouldn't be able to hold out on them. Brookie and Catie stretch one little finger toward that cake and before you know it, these two knuckleheads are slicing off the corners and forking them over. I don't think there's anything these guys wouldn't do for those pretty little dollies."

"There's no doubt your husband and Jasper are wrapped around their little fingers," I said, nodding my head in agreement.

"Just wait and see what we got them for their big day," Emmett said, dancing Brook over to the kitchen sink to get her hands clean. She squealed with excitement the entire way and loved splashing in the water. They giggled together as they made a bigger mess yet. Her long, brunette waves were dripping wet and still blurred in pink frosting with purple sprinkles. Emmett did little to actually clean her off: I laughed because he mostly just smeared the pink and purple around even more.

"What have we here?" Edward asked with a raised brow as he entered the kitchen. He looked over the girls with their uncles and shook his head playfully. "Can't let them out of our sight for half a moment, can we?" he asked me.

"Not for a split second," I concurred.

"It's a good thing I bought two of each dress," Alice said casually. "I knew something like this would happen."

Alice and Rose ran the twins upstairs to change as the guests started to arrive. Within less than half an hour, the living room was piled high with presents just waiting to be torn open and enjoyed by the twins. Everyone we loved and who loved us was there to share this most wonderful of happy memories with us: Carmen, Eleazar, Garrett and Kate; Adalfieri, Vico, the Wild Cards and the Princes; the Wolves and their ladies, along with Billy; Charlie, and for the first time, Renee.

It was tough explaining to her why I wouldn't be having the typical high school graduation that she planned on attending. In fact, just the week before was the first time I decided to tell her that I was carrying a baby… well, _babies_. Edward and I flew down to Jacksonville to tell her in person. We explained that I finished school at home and received top marks. That much, she was happy about. Needless to say, she was _a tad more than surprised_ to see me in maternity clothes and a wedding ring. By April I was eight months along, so needless to say, I was showing. I thought she might fall backward with shock at the first sight of me, but instead she composed herself and said, _"Oh my, you'd better come in and tell me all about it."_

We didn't tell her _everything_ though. We weren't sure how she might handle the thought of vampires, werewolves, etc. She had enough being shoved on her mom-plate with the news that I had eloped and become preggers as a teenager.

"_Well, I don't see how angry I can possibly be by this,"_ she had said. _"After all, I kind of did the same thing with Charlie, actually."_ Then, she _laughed_. She said she was happy if I was happy, which I was. She said she was excited if I was excited, which I was. She had flown up the day before I actually went into labor. She held my hand as I delivered at home. Carlisle wasn't specifically an obstetrician, but he was more than knowledgeable in all areas of practicing medicine: I guess it pays off, never having to sleep and all. He had plenty of time to _brush up _on the matter, and I remember laughing with how absurd it was that he was so casual about delivering the babies. Of course, it helped that he had Joan to counsel him through what he might expect with the delivery. She had, of course, had five of her own.

I cringed in remembering the pain when my water broke and how I felt this compulsive need to push when it wasn't time to push. I remember how much the labor pains hurt like hell and at how the process lasted twenty-two hours. Edward was by my side the entire time, doing anything he could to soothe me and take my mind off the pain. My mom, Esme, Alice and Rose were so supportive as well. Everyone else was downstairs in the living room, waiting it out; my dad included. He didn't want to be in the room for the _women's stuff_ that was "going on" at that time, as he put it, but his whole being melted when he heard their first cries.

Brook was the first to be born, followed by Catie just seven minutes later. I was worried when Brook didn't cry at first. Apparently, she was waiting for her sister. Hearing their first cries in unison- oh, there has never been more beautiful music than that. I remember the look in Edward's eyes as he held his tiny little daughters for the first time. He took in each tiny whimper and mild coo as if committing them to memory. Not that he would have to, since Emmett was there with the camcorder right away. Since their first moments, nearly everything they have ever done, said or worn has been captured on video or film. Everyone just carries around cameras as if they were as essentials as diapers or wipes. And they are used just as frequently, I might add.

"What happened to the cake?" Charlie asked as he walked into the kitchen. "It's already been attacked."

"You can thank Emmett and Jasper for that," I laughed.

"Those boys spoil my little ladies," he teased. "That's a grandfather's right, you know. _I_ should have been the one sneaking them the frosting from their first birthday cake."

I looked down at what was left of the thing. _"Happy Birthday Brookie-cookie and Catie-cat,"_ it read. I have to admit, right after Rose and Alice suggested the names several months before the girls were born, I got attached to each of them. Additionally, we all got what we wanted: I got my happily-ever-after with the man of my dreams and with two beautiful, healthy babies; Alice and Rose got their say in the names; and the rest of our family and friends helped make our lives the happiest they could be.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart as Alice and Rose brought the girls back downstairs. Brook and Catie were dressed in fresh little outfits with their hair now clean and clipped to the side. I knew I could count on their uncles to help them get messy, and on their aunts to help them get squeaky clean. Everyone took turns holding the girls, hugging them and kissing them. I looked all around me and saw that everything was completely perfect. I even had a sneaking suspicion that _this_ was the day that Alice saw all that time ago- back when I was sitting on a toilet seat holding a pregnancy test and wondering what would become of my future. I remember she saw two possibilities for what my baby would look like. I guess what even she didn't realize was that Fate decided to give _both_ of them to me.

I wiped away the tears that were breaking loose. I hadn't realized I was beginning to cry. Edward wrapped his arm around me and whispered in my ear. "It's a big day for them. And it's a big day for _you_ too. Our babies are turning one," he smiled. "Can you believe it? _One!_ It's really something to celebrate."

"I know," I smiled back. I heard the phone in the kitchen begin to ring.

"I'm so proud of you," he said.

"Proud?" I asked. The phone was still ringing.

"Yes. I'm so proud that I married the best mom these girls could ever wish for. You are beautiful, Bella." His kiss against my cheek was soft and loving. "I can't possibly think of a single thing that would make me happier than I already am."

I blushed at that. It was still a natural reaction for me, even after all this time.

"I'll be right back," I said, heading for the phone. Everyone else was in the living room, enjoying the girls as they giggled and cooed at being offered brightly colored bags and the boxes that were covered in cowgirl, princess, and robot wrapping papers.

I could hear everyone's laughter and chatting as I picked up the phone to answer.

"Hello?" I asked.

There was a long pause at first. I looked at the caller ID only to see _Unavailable_ on the screen.

"Hello?" I asked again.

This time there was breathing.

"Your daughters enjoying their cake?" seethed a _sticky-sweet_ voice on the other end.

I felt cold sweat drip across my forehead.

"_Tanya?_"

…

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading!

As you all well know, the plot and original characters are mine, but the rest belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended in any way, of course. Not to mention, some of these characters bear the names and likeness of real fanfic readers/reviewers. The creation of these characters is done with the willing consent of said persons. A very special thank you goes out to Jen, Kathy, Kari-Michelle, Natalie, Samantha, Joan, Brook and Catie.

As I've mentioned once before, a third story will be added shortly. Look for it soon: it's called _Legerdemain_. It means "sleight of hand" and goes between the concepts of secrecy and being forthright. Among the many ideas I have for it, it will include why Marcus' head was so valuable to James, Victoria, and Laurent; how the crap Tanya is alive (if you can really even call her that, but more on that later); the domestic dynamics of the Wolves and their loved ones; more on the treaty and how the Quileutes who are not on board might learn to see things in a new light; how the Cullens and their affiliates will organize a chaotic secret world (concerning government and the struggle against those who would try to take over… even Maria will make an entrance); we know from Alice's vision that Billy will walk someday; the twins have abilities that have not yet been made manifest; and oh, so much more! I hope you will consider reading it!

Until then,

Stephanie

P.S. Speaking of birthdays, happy birthday to DanielWhite! If I could afford to buy you an Aston Martin, I swear I would! Promise! ;)


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